First session will examine proposed changes to zoning and transportation in Montgomery Village
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is holding its first work session on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) to discuss the transportation and zoning recommendations outlined in the Public Hearing Draft of the Montgomery Village Master Plan.
Topics to be discussed during the work sessions include Wightman Road and the future of the former golf course. This first work session follows the overview of the Plan presented to the Planning Board in July and the public hearing about the Montgomery Village Master Plan held on September 10, 2015.
A second work session is scheduled for October 15 to examine any remaining topics not addressed on October 1. The work sessions involve detailed discussions about various aspects of the Master Plan to refine the recommendations that will be included in the Planning Draft Board Draft Plan, which will be transmitted to the County Council later this year.
View the Public Hearing Draft of the Montgomery Village Master Plan.
About the Montgomery Village Master Plan
The new Master Plan builds on the assets of Montgomery Village through four major recommendations:
Preserve the Village’s character: Built in the 1960s by Kettler Brothers, Montgomery Village was purposefully planned with a vast range of housing types. From the apartment communities clustered in the lower Village to the grand colonials of Whetstone, the homes appeal to a variety of lifestyles with a wide selection of designs and prices for residents. The Master Plan recommends preserving this variety and expanding housing choices in the future.
Maintain the public recreation and open spaces: The Village’s sylvan environment is one of its greatest assets. The Master Plan strongly recommends that most of its recreation and open spaces be maintained and preserved. When new development or redevelopment occurs, developers should emulate the Kettlers’ town planning principles to provide ample green spaces, vistas and recreational opportunities. Additional trail connections, with natural or hard surfaces, should be provided to enhance community connectivity.
Encourage reinvestment: Montgomery Village has six conveniently located shopping areas (Montgomery Village Crossing, Montgomery Village Plaza, The Village Center, Goshen Plaza, Goshen Crossing and Goshen Oaks) throughout the community which serve the everyday retail needs of residents. Over several decades, however, retail competition has grown in the mid-County area and consumer preferences have shifted, as has the tenant mix in the Village’s centers. Some redevelopment opportunities exist in the Village, and the Master Plan strongly recommends a sustainable and competitive Village Center. Short blocks with identifiable edges to reinforce the mixed uses and the introduction of new housing units can potentially transform the suburban blocks into walkable, connected and inviting areas, reinvigorating a sense of community and creating attractive centers for community life.
Enhance connectivity: The Master Plan encourages increased options for mobility and connectivity by all modes — transit, walking, biking and private motor vehicles. The Village’s private street network, coupled with many trails and pedestrian connections, offers unique opportunities to enhance multimodal links. Montgomery Village can improve connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists by providing missing links to open spaces, parks, the Village Center and other destinations around the community and beyond.
In order to help achieve these goals, the Master Plan recommends an overlay zone as an implementation measure. The Town Sector zone will not be used going forward, which means all the properties in the village must be rezoned. A large-scale rezoning of this kind is rare, and concerns have been raised about its implementation. The Montgomery Village Overlay Zone is intended to preserve the unique Village character; protect existing open space and conservation areas; and ensure a compatible relationship between new and existing development.
Past PowerPoint presentations and other materials from the Montgomery Village Master Plan process are posted on the Montgomery Village Master Plan webpage.