Plan amendment is an update to the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan
WHEATON, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) presented the preliminary recommendations for the Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment to the Montgomery County Planning Board at its meeting on September 19. The minor master plan amendment is a technical update to the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan focused on exploring how to better implement the 2017 Plan’s existing zoning, parks, transportation, and other recommendations within the same boundary.
View the Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment preliminary recommendations PowerPoint presentation.
Watch the September 19 Planning Board presentation and read the staff report.
The preliminary recommendations reflect input from discussions with resident and developer community stakeholders, comments from six community meetings held since May, and from community engagement efforts with the Bethesda Downtown Plan Implementation Advisory Committee. The recommendations are focused on implementation strategies to achieve top priority elements of the 2017 Plan vision. The preliminary recommendations address:
- The 2017 Plan’s development cap and projected impact on the transportation network from potential additional future development.
- Reassessing the elements of the Park Impact Payment, including the rate and the timing.
- Incentivizing construction of a new recreation center, potentially through a public-private partnership.
- Efforts to strive for no net loss of affordable housing when sites with “naturally occurring affordable housing” redevelop.
- Incentivizing affordable housing with family-sized units and deeper levels of affordability.
- Adjustments to the Bethesda Overlay Zone to increase flexibility for future development.
“Bethesda is a thriving urban center, an economic engine for the county and the region, and one of the county’s most successful communities,” said Downcounty Planning Division Chief and project lead Elza Hisel-McCoy. “This update seeks to advance the implementation of the 2017 Plan’s recommendations for more new parks and public amenities, and improved downtown walkability and connectivity.”
At the September 19 preliminary recommendations briefing, Planning Board members shared their comments with staff that will inform the development of the Working Draft for the minor master plan amendment, expected in October. Individuals may send written comments to the Chair of the Planning Board at mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org.
More about the Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment
The 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan has a 20-year vision to help downtown Bethesda continue to be a thriving urban center and one of the county’s most desirable communities. The plan capped total development in downtown Bethesda at 32.4 million total square feet, based on a 2016 analysis of transportation infrastructure. Once total development came within 2 million square feet (approximately 10 200-unit apartment buildings) of the cap, the plan recommended that Montgomery Planning and the Planning Board revisit the recommendations to determine if more are needed to help implementation of public amenity and infrastructure recommendations like new parks and transportation-related improvements. In fall 2023, total development in downtown Bethesda reached the 2 million square-foot checkpoint. After public engagement and comment, Montgomery Planning staff and the Planning Board recommended that the County Council authorize the development of a minor master plan amendment.
The Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment is limited in nature and will not re-open the entire 2017 Plan. The existing zoning, parks, transportation, and other recommendations will remain unchanged while we explore how better to implement those recommendations. The plan update focuses on implementation strategies for the following and related elements:
- Economic development
- Park development
- Transportation improvements
- Schools
- Affordable housing
- Community recreation center
Learn more about the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan’s implementation, including data and reports about development activity and more.
Community members are encouraged to stay updated on the minor master plan amendment by subscribing to our Bethesda e-newsletter.