Planning Board to receive policy briefing on September 5, and community workshop set for October 7
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is updating the county’s Subdivision Staging Policy (SSP) to ensure the County’s public facilities, particularly its school and transportation systems, keep pace with development and growth patterns. An overview of the SSP and the 2020 update process will be presented to the Planning Board on Thursday, September 5, 2019.
As part of the SSP update, Montgomery Planning staff invites community members to apply to serve on the Schools Technical Advisory Team (STAT) and attend the SSP Community Workshop on October 7 at 7 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD).
RSVP for the October 7 Community Workshop meeting
Apply to the STAT
“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.”
The policy, last revised in 2016, tests whether the county has adequate infrastructure based on projected capacity, growth and future development. It includes criteria and guidance for the administration of Montgomery 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 identified and built. Today, growth is occurring through infill development and redevelopment, including the resale of homes in many established neighborhoods. This type of growth creates pressure on public school facilities. The 2020 SSP update provides the opportunity to examine the evaluation tools currently used to measure the impact of development within the context of these changing growth patterns.
Call for Community Member Applications: Schools Technical Advisory Team
As part of the 2020 SSP update, Montgomery Planning seeks interested community members to participate in its Schools Technical Advisory Team (STAT). We are looking for members who represent the various needs and perspectives of our diverse communities. Selected candidates will serve alongside representatives from key stakeholder groups to support Montgomery Planning staff in drafting recommendations.
STAT members will serve as links between their communities and Planning staff, sharing knowledge of neighborhoods, diverse perspectives and relevant information. Members must be available to attend all meetings, be active participants in STAT discussions on data, maps and policies, and be open to considering different points of view.
The STAT will meet regularly between October 2019 through February 2020. Meetings will be held approximately once every three weeks on weekday evenings at the Planning Department (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring). The tentative dates are:
- Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, 7-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, 7-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, 7-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, 7-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, 7-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, 7- 9 p.m.
To apply to become a member of the Schools Technical Advisory Team, please complete the online application by September 20, 2019.
Comments and Questions Welcome
Additional information about the SSP and the 2020 update, along with an online form to submit comments, are available on the Montgomery Planning website. If you have any questions regarding the STAT or the application, please contact Jason Sartori at 301-495-2172 or Jason.Sartori@montgomeryplanning.org.