Attainable housing is a win for all ages

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By 2034, there will be more adults who are 65 or older than children under the age of 18 for the first time in our nation’s history. People over the age of 80 will surpass 10% of the national population for the first time. In Montgomery County, estimates are that before 2040, 1 in 5 residents will be 65 or older and today, 1 in 3 are 55 or older with 9,000 people turning 65 each year. At the same time, the number of young adults without children is also growing. Although many residential zoned neighborhoods near and outside our urban centers might have benefits, they often present some challenges for aging in place with oversized houses and yards, … Continue reading

Century of change: Where we are after 100 years of homebuilding in Montgomery County

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An analysis of Montgomery County’s property assessment database over the past century shows homebuilding consistently increased before peaking in the 1980s and has since slowed substantially. The data also show how the composition of the housing stock has changed over time, from overwhelmingly single-family to many more townhouses and apartments.

From before the 1920s through the 1980s, each successive decade saw more homes built than the decade before, except for the 1970s. Then, starting in the 1990s, the trend reversed, with a sharp drop-off in new homes from the 1980s. The decline continued through 2019. Data for 2020 to 2022 suggest that the county may be on pace for another decade of decline.  

FAQ: Curious about our proposal to relax single-family zoning? We’ve got answers.

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By Montgomery Planning staff

This fall, the Montgomery County Council will consider modifying single-family residential zones to help address the county’s severe housing shortage. In June, the Planning Board offered a set of recommendations to the County Council that would allow duplexes, triplexes and other small multi-unit buildings in neighborhoods now restricted to single-family homes. Called Attainable Housing Strategies, the recommendations are an effort to meet the county’s growing demand for housing at different price points and types for all.

The County Council is seeking community feedback at a series of community meetings as part of its review of the recommendations.

Montgomery Planning developed Attainable Housing Strategies. Here are answers to some of the questions we’ve heard most since … Continue reading

Montgomery Planning Board Chair Artie Harris explains why the bi-county Commission matters

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Chair Harris will serve as Chair of the M-NCPPC over the next year and provided remarks on July 17, 2024

Montgomery Planning Board Chair Artie Harris provided remarks from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Wheaton Headquarters dais on July 17, 2024, about starting his tenure as Chair of the Full Commission. Each year, the M-NCPPC Chair position rotates between the Chair of the Montgomery Planning Board and the Chair of the Prince George’s Planning Board. When both planning boards come together to meet once a month, they are known as the Full Commission.

Environmental Resilience at Home: The Story of a Rain Garden

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By Artie Harris, Chair, Montgomery County Planning Board

This is the story of my rain garden adventure in the front yard of my family’s Takoma Park home.

Every time there was a big rain, water rushed down our driveway into the street, joining with runoff from other houses in a fast-flowing gush along the curb. Since our house is on a hill, stormwater has never caused us any problems, but we knew our downstream neighbors suffered from flooded basements. We also knew the result of all this cumulative discharge was harmful to the beloved Chesapeake Bay.

Many Montgomery County homes have a similar problem, but in our case, it was especially obvious because we had a gravel driveway. … Continue reading

Give everyone a chance to call Montgomery County home

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By Artie Harris, Montgomery County Planning Board Chair and Jason K. Sartori, Montgomery Planning Director

This blog is also published in Greater Greater Washington as a guest opinion column.

Bold action by governments to tackle the country’s housing crisis has been scarce for far too long. The Biden administration is fed up too, calling for federal policies that would incentivize local governments to end discriminatory single-family home zoning.

The Montgomery County Planning Board believes it is about time Montgomery County joined a national movement to break free from outdated laws that constrain housing supply and prices too many people out of the market.

On June 13, the Planning Board voted to recommend that the Montgomery County Council relax … Continue reading

Charting our course for the next five years

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Montgomery Planning’s strategic planning will advance the goals of Thrive Montgomery 2050

By Jason K. Sartori, Montgomery Planning Director

While I had worked at Montgomery Planning for nearly eight years before being appointed director in November 2023, stepping into this role has provided me with a fresh perspective on the department and the communities we serve. I have enjoyed building deeper relationships with Planning staff, Planning Board members, County Council, other government stakeholders, and members of the community who collaborate with us on a range of neighborhood plans and land use policy issues. As I wrote in January, I am optimistic about the opportunities ahead for our county.

One of my first priorities as director was to embark … Continue reading

A Productive 2024 Legislative Session on Housing

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By Artie Harris, Montgomery County Planning Board Chair

Montgomery County has not been immune to the nation’s housing crisis. Addressing this multi-faceted issue requires interventions at every step — from project review through construction.

The Planning Board has sought to accelerate housing development through a variety of avenues. Among the thousands of bills introduced this legislative session, four bills stand out to us that will help us address the housing crisis.

Accelerating early project stages

Accelerating the development review process is one way to help get new residences built in the county.

Two bills, both sponsored by Delegate Lesley Lopez, HB 0989 Montgomery County Subdivision Plats – Conditions and HB 1003 Montgomery County Clerk of the circuit Court – … Continue reading

Montgomery Planning’s approach to engagement: audience-centric, data driven, and focused on building trust

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By Bridget Broullire, Acting Deputy Director  

Community feedback is foundational to developing successful, sustainable plans. Combined with internal and external expertise and data sources, community feedback significantly informs our planning recommendations. However, stakeholder input has sometimes historically flowed from just a small portion of the community with the time and resources to participate in the process. That often led to communities of color, non-native English speakers, low-income residents, and others being excluded or marginalized from having their voices heard in community planning.

Montgomery Planning’s updated approach leverages a more equitable, transparent, and effective community outreach and engagement process to reverse historical trends and make it easy for all residents, business owners, property owners and leaders to understand and … Continue reading