the third place

A special tree grows, again, in Twinbrook

Posted by & filed under Planning.

By James Hedrick, Commissioner, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC)

Among the many agenda items that come before the Montgomery County Planning Board, some projects will stick with you. On February 22, 2024, the Planning Board held a hearing regarding an apartment complex in Twinbrook: 210-plus units, 25% subsidized, a stone’s throw from a Metro station. All good. Nothing too unusual.

Except for one thing. A crabapple tree.

Specifically, the National Champion Southern Crabapple (Malus angustifolia).

The tree immediately reminded me of the Truffula tree from Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax.”  Although Montgomery County does not have an orange mustachioed gremlin voiced by Bob Holt (or Danny DeVito, if you prefer the 2012 version) to speak for … Continue reading

Answers to questions (and misconceptions) about Attainable Housing Strategies

Posted by & filed under Planning.

By Artie Harris and Jason K. Sartori

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

Over the past three years, Montgomery Planning and the Montgomery County Planning Board have heard a lot of passion from people in Montgomery County who are eager to find solutions to the county’s housing crisis. We also heard a lot of misconceptions regarding the Planning Board’s recommendations to relax single-family zoning, also known as Attainable Housing Strategies. That’s why we’re sharing these frequently asked questions about them.

Back in June, the Planning Board issued its Attainable Housing Strategies (AHS) recommendations, which would give property owners more choices in the types of structures they can build on their properties in … Continue reading

The power of placemaking

Posted by & filed under Design, Planning, Public spaces.

Making happier, healthier, and more connected communities

By Montgomery Planning staff

The town of Damascus, in upper Montgomery County, recently saw its Main Street morph into a vibrant pedestrian mall with food trucks, dance performances, and small businesses offering locally produced beverages and other treats. 

The Damascus Placemaking Festival, held Oct. 19-20, helped residents and business owners envision a livelier downtown that would bring people together – all while embracing the area’s small-town country charm.  

But Montgomery Planning’s approach to placemaking goes far beyond a weekend event. It’s part of our people-centered approach to planning and helps make areas like Damascus happier, healthier, and better connected. We have developed a Placemaking Strategic Plan that includes key goals and … Continue reading

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

Posted by & filed under Planning.

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

Posted by & filed under Planning.

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.

Give everyone a chance to call Montgomery County home

Posted by & filed under Design.

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

Profile of women in Montgomery County by the numbers

Posted by & filed under Research.

By Bhavna Sivasubramanian

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Research and Strategic Projects Division at Montgomery Planning developed a profile presenting key demographic, economic, and employment characteristics of the female population in Montgomery County. Gender disparity is a national and global topic of study, and this research aims to highlight such differences in the county. Considering the unique characteristics and challenges faced by females in the county helps planners, local government decision-makers, and the public develop equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities for all. All data for this research come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates. Data are from respondents who answered “Female” to ACS’s question “What is your sex?”

In 2022, women … Continue reading

Priorities for Parks: Helping Visitors Get Active, Make Friends, and Care for Nature

Posted by & filed under Public spaces.

By Miti Figueredo, Montgomery Parks Director

The good news about running a large park system is that everyone loves parks—hikers, bikers, equestrians, soccer players, bird watchers, kids looking for slides and swing sets, their parents, conservationists, and historic preservationists. All of them can find something that gets them excited about visiting a park.

The bad news is that the demand for parks and amenities exceeds Montgomery Parks’ available resources. Everyone wants and needs something different from parks, whether it’s a new athletic field or pickleball court, a renovated playground, or more land for conservation. Our parks have something for everyone, but in the competition for limited resources, not every popular program or facility can be expanded or upgraded—at least … Continue reading

Herstory: Celebrating M-NCPPC Leaders

Posted by & filed under Design.

In honor of Women’s History Month, three Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission leaders tell their inspiring stories of how they reached the top echelons of the planning profession and offer advice for other women looking to be trailblazers of their own. We spoke with Montgomery County Planning Board Commissioner Mitra Pedoeem, Montgomery Parks Director Miti Figueredo, and Prince George’s County Planning Director Lakisha Hull.

 

“As a young girl in Tehran, I dreamed of being a civil engineer despite all the odds for a woman to have an engineering career in Iran. I had to study hard to compete in a male-dominated society that generally provided a much more inferior education for females. With focus, determination, and hard … Continue reading

Progress on Process – An Update on the Development Review Process Workgroup Recommendations

Posted by & filed under Planning.

By Robert Kronenberg, Montgomery Planning Deputy Director

A central focus of Montgomery Planning’s work plan for 2024 is housing. Like many places across the country, Montgomery County’s housing shortage has meant rising rents and housing prices. We’re committed to collaborating with our county and state government partners, the development community, and residents to find ways to expand our housing supply and make the county a more affordable place for everyone to live. A major part of making that happen is streamlining the review and approval process for new development in the county to become a reality quicker.

Last year, under the leadership of Maryland Delegate Lesley Lopez (District 39), representatives from Montgomery Planning, Montgomery Parks, Montgomery County government, developers, … Continue reading