Community invited to discuss growth and infrastructure issues at meeting on October 19, 2015 in Silver Spring
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is updating the Subdivision Staging Policy (formerly called Growth Policy) for review and approval by the County Council by November 15, 2016. The intent of the Subdivision Staging Policy is to ensure public facilities, particularly schools and roads, are adequate to meet the needs of new development and growth.
“The update to the Subdivision Staging Policy is one of our most important initiatives,” says Planning Director Gwen Wright. “This effort happens every four years and lays the groundwork for how our County can grow and thrive.”
A public open house addressing the policy update will be held on Monday, October 19 at the Montgomery County Planning Department headquarters in Silver Spring (8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD). This event presents the opportunity for the community to learn more about the Subdivision Staging Policy and share concerns about infrastructure and growth. Representatives of the Montgomery County Public Schools and Department of Transportation will participate in the discussions. RSVPs are encouraged, but not required.
RSVP for the Subdivision Staging Policy Community Open House.
The session builds on the Infrastructure Forum held in March 2015 that was co-sponsored by the Planning Department and County Councilmember Roger Berliner to address issues and concerns associated with schools and transportation.
Background on Subdivision Staging Policy:
Revisions to the Subdivision Staging Policy are currently underway. Planning staff is researching new ideas in transportation and school capacity planning in preparation for the revised regulations, which will be first presented to the Planning Board in May 2016 for comment. This quadrennial policy includes criteria and guidance for the administration of the County’s Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO), which matches the timing of private development with the availability of public services.
In the past, the APFO was designed to ensure that road and school capacity – as well as water and sewer and other infrastructure –kept pace with growth. Where new areas of the County were developed, infrastructure to support new homes and businesses was needed.
Today, much of the County has been developed. Growth is occurring through infill development and redevelopment, including the resale of homes in many of the County’s established neighborhoods. This type of growth creates pressure on transportation systems and school facilities; however, the current tools used to evaluate the impact of development may not adequately access these changing growth patterns and are being examined for their effectiveness.