Public invited to testify about update to 50-year old zoning that is now being phased out
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, approved the Germantown Plan for the Town Sector Zone Public Hearing Draft on Thursday, June 6, 2019 and will hold the plan’s public hearing on July 17 at the Upcounty Regional Services Center (12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD) starting at 7 p.m.
Community members interested in testifying at the hearing should consult the Planning Board agenda website about signing up.
The purpose of this plan is to update the zoning classifications in the area of Churchill Village now regulated by Town Sector (T-S) zoning. The T-S Zone is being phased out due to changes in the county zoning code.
The Germantown Plan for the Town Sector Zone addresses the 1,254 acres comprising the village’s T-S Zone, which includes Churchill Lake, parks, walking trails and recreational amenities. In 2014, Montgomery County updated its zoning ordinance and, as a result, the T-S Zone is being phased out.
Additionally, as approved by the original 1968 zoning case that authorized the development of Churchill Village, no new zoning classifications could be considered for 50 years. This zoning control feature expired in 2018 and is the primary reason for the new sector plan. Planners have analyzed existing land uses, densities and open spaces in order to prepare new zoning recommendations that best reflect current conditions, uses and densities.
The public hearing will be followed by Planning Board work sessions to refine the plan before it is transmitted to the County Executive and County Council. These events offer additional opportunities for the community to comment on the plan recommendations.
Learn more about the Germantown Plan for the Town Sector Zone by signing up for the plan e-newsletter. For more information, contact lead planner Phillip Estes at Phillip.Estes@montgomeryplanning.org.