SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is pleased to announce its March 2016 calendar of community meetings, work session and public events. These events offer opportunities for the Planning Board and Planning Department staff to discuss policies and engage with the public. Review the full list of events below and go online to www.montgomeryplanning.org for more details on projects and plans.
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Montgomery County Planning Department Events in March 2016
March 1 – Registration opens for the Makeover Montgomery 3 Conference. This event, being held from May 4 through May 6 in College Park and Silver Spring, MD, will focus on themes relevant to the future of our County. These topics are: The Sharing Economy, Social Equity and Opportunity, and Beyond Transit-oriented Development.
March 2 – The Bicycle Master Plan Community Advisory Group will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD). The meeting, which is open to the public, will focus on defining a low-stress bicycling network and discussing the major bicycling issues in Montgomery County.
March 3 – Attend, watch or listen live to the Planning Board meeting. View the Planning Board Agenda for details on topics to be discussed by the Board.
March 7 – The Montgomery County Council Planning, Housing & Economic Development (PHED) Committee will hold a work session for the Westbard Sector Plan with a focus on Parks and Open Space. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. on the 7th Floor Council Hearing Room. View the County Council Committee Agenda for more information.
March 7 – Attend the first phase of the MARC Rail Communities Plan Design Workshop at the Upcounty Regional Services Center (12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874). This event will begin with technical discussions with various agencies, such as the County Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection, Historic Preservation Office, Maryland Transit Administration and State Highway Administration, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. An Open House/ Community Visioning Exercise follows in the evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring and share your ideas about the future of the Boyds and Germantown MARC station areas.
March 10 – The Planning Board will hold another work session for the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan at this meeting. View the Planning Board Agenda for details on topics to be discussed by the Board.
March 14 – The Montgomery County Council Planning, Housing & Economic Development (PHED) Committee will hold a work session for the Westbard Sector Plan with a focus on Land Use and Zoning. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. on the 7th Floor Council Hearing Room. View the County Council Committee Agenda for more information.
March 14-16 – Participate in the second phase of the MARC Rail Communities Plan Design Workshop at the Upcounty Regional Services Center (12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874). Planning staff will work with community stakeholders to explore and synthesize ideas in order to determine the planning priorities for Boyds and Germantown station areas. Discussions will focus on road access, parking, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, historic preservation and other topics. The workshop on Monday, March 14 will focus on Boyds, and the session on Tuesday, March 15 will focus on Germantown. The event on Wednesday, March 16 will culminate with a recap of the week and presentation of the workshop alternatives and recommendations.
March 16 – Attend the third and final session of the three-part Winter Speakers Series focused on transportation. Jeffrey Tumlin, Principal and Director of Strategy for Nelson/Nygaard in San Francisco, will discuss new metrics for measuring the impact of traffic to help reach sustainability goals. The session is free and members of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) attending the event can earn credit. Learn more about the session and the #smartmoves series.
March 17 – At its meeting, the Planning Board will discuss updating the school test methodology and impact tax calculations as part of the Subdivision Staging Policy. View the Planning Board Agenda for details on additional agenda items.
March 24 – The first work session for the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan will be held at the Planning Board meeting. In addition, the Planning Board will hear preliminary transportation recommendations for the Subdivision Staging Policy. View the Planning Board Agenda for details on topics to be discussed by the Board.
March 31– Attend, watch or listen live to the Planning Board meeting. Consult the Planning Board Agenda for details about the session.