Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan What We've Heard

What We’re Hearing

Updated, as of 10/15/20: We have heard hopes, concerns and thoughts about the future of Silver Spring from over 400 community members through Listening Sessions, office hours, completed our online survey or attended neighborhood meetings. See below for frequent responses to the questions we asked.
*This number includes duplicates or community members who participated in multiple events.

What do people like most about Silver Spring?

Diversity; different cultures, kinds of people, different restaurants to enjoy
Variety of high-quality transit options
Ability to walk to vibrant services, shops and entertainment
Streets that are closed to cars
Ability to get around without a car
Access to parks and trails, like Sligo Creek
Proximity to DC and central location in the region
Access to performing arts and entertainment
Diverse, unique retail options
Access and inclusivity
Small-town feeling

What do you want to see happen in Silver Spring in the future?

“Save the funk”
Help current residents stay in Silver Spring
Redevelop the parking garages; seems like there is excess parking
Create initiatives to help people experiencing homelessness
Preserve the character of the residential neighborhoods
Preserve small businesses, especially restaurants
More independent, local shops and restaurants
Maintain the character of Fenton Village
More affordable housing
Diverse housing types that reflect the architectural character of the neighborhood
More trees within commercial core, preserve trees in surrounding neighborhoods
Improve pedestrian and bike infrastructure, continuous sidewalks, continuous bike lanes
Make Georgia Ave, Colesville Road, E-W Hwy more walkable
More connections across the railroad track and to DC
More pedestrian-only streets
Growth of the local art scene
More employment and jobs
Improve existing parks and create more parks, especially playgrounds/active recreation for kids and dog parks
Growth that preserves the current diversity

What is your biggest concern about the future of Silver Spring?

Expansion of the downtown core into surrounding neighborhoods
Less housing affordability in the future, as Silver Spring grows
Have to leave, because of increased rents and housing costs
Displacement of small businesses
Displacement of current Silver Spring residents
Fewer trees and more vehicles will adversely impact climate
Losing the small-town feel; too much congestion and noise
Lack of community services to support increase in residents
That planning team will not really include stakeholders
There will be too many multi-family units; hard to build community
The downtown will become a concrete jungle of high-rise apartment buildings
That open space will be traded for housing units
Overcrowded schools, due to development and increased density
Becoming Bethesda
More crime
Continued segregation of schools

This plan will be a success if…

Silver Spring becomes a place for all
It results in a strong and sustainable community
There is collaboration between all parties involved
If businesses want to locate in Silver Spring
It comprehensively addresses the increase in density to the benefit of the surrounding community to create an affordable place to live and work for people of all incomes
Affordable housing and diversity are prioritized
Broad range of transportation options are prioritized
Environmental issues like water quality, loss of trees, stormwater treatment, and improvement of natural environment are addressed
It addresses the impacts of climate change as addressed in Thrive 2050
It achieves Vision Zero; people can walk and bike safely
The affordable housing is concentrated only in the downtown; do not ruin the neighborhoods
It preserves neighborhood character
It preserves economic and racial diversity of residents
It remains walkable
Parks are preserved and improved
Small businesses are able to remain and succeed
The plan finds a way to make missing middle housing affordable in Silver Spring
Everyone is heard; ALL residents are included and valued; community input is heard; underrepresented members of our Silver Spring community feel fully engaged

We’ve also categorized all of the comments we heard during the first round of Listening Sessions:

Review all of the comments heard during the first round of Listening Sessions.

Review comments from the October Listening Sessions.

Who We’ve Heard From

Updated, as of 5/26/21: Since the first round of virtual Listening Sessions in July 2020, over 900* Silver Spring stakeholders have engaged with us through our virtual Listening Sessions, office hours, online survey, neighborhood meetings, community presentations or Visioning Workshops. Of those stakeholders, 422 have shared their demographic information with us.

*This number includes duplicates or community members who participated in multiple events.

Past Meetings and Events

July 13, 2020: EYA (Missing Middle research)
July 14, 2020: Arlington County (Missing Middle research)
July 27, 2020: Listening Session (open to public)
August 6, 2020: Office Hours (open to public)
August 13, 2020: Office Hours (open to public)
August 27, 2020: Office Hours (open to public)
July 29, 2020: Listening Session (open to public)
August 4, 2020: Listening Session (open to public)
September 3, 2020: Fenton Village Inc.
September 16, 2020: Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation
September 21, 2020: DC Office of Planning
September 30, 2020: Walking Tour with South Silver Spring Neighborhood Association
September 23, 2020: Kellee James, founder and CEO of Mercaris
September 23, 2020: Seven Oaks Evanswood Citizens Association
September 30, 2020: Councilmember Hucker
October 1, 2020: Haroon Mokhtarzada, Founder of Truebill
October 7, 2020: Woodside Civic Association
October 5, 2020: Listening Session (open to public)
October 8, 2020: Steve Sidel, Founder & CEO of Mindoula
October 15, 2020: Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind
October 13, 2020: Listening Session (open to public)
October 15, 2020: Montgomery Housing Partnership
October 15, 2020: Department of Health and Human Services
October 16, 2020: Upper Georgia Ave Main Street
October 16, 2020: Kit Gage, Friends of Sligo Creek
October 20, 2020: Shepherd Park Citizens Association
November 2, 2020: Harvey Maisel
November 4, 2020: Washington Property Company
November 4, 2020: Lee Development
November 4, 2020: Newell St. Self Storage
November 5, 2020: 8551 Fenton Ave Properties
November 10, 2020: Montgomery College students
November 12, 2020: Transportation Management District
November 13, 2020: Montgomery County Food Council
November 16, 2020: East Silver Spring Citizens Association
November 16, 2020: Progress Place/Shepherd's Table
November 16, 2020: Silver Spring Village
November 17, 2020: 8700 Georgia Ave
November 18, 2020: Montgomery College, facilities planning staff
November 18, 2020: Silver Spring Arts and Entertainment District
November 18, 2020: Ethiopian Community Leaders
November 20, 2020: GoBrent (Missing Middle research)
November 24, 2020: Orion Condo Board
November 30, 2020: Eastern Village Co-Housing
December 1, 2020: GLW Planning (Missing Middle research)
December 3, 2020: Park Hills Civic Association
December 4, 2020: Listening Session with planning staff
December 8, 2020: Listening Session (open to public)
December 8, 2020: CASA
December 8, 2020: Everyday Canvassing
December 9, 2020: Woodside Park Civic Association
December 10, 2020: Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce
December 14, 2020: Listening Session (open to public)
December 15, 2020: South Silver Spring Neighborhood Association
December 15, 2020: NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association)
December 17, 2020: Tower Companies
January 4, 2021: Downtown Silver Spring Executive Staff
January 11, 2021: Steve Silverman
January 12, 2021: Silver Spring Historical Society
January 12, 2021: Friends of Sligo Creek
January 25, 2021: Harvey Maisel, property owner
January 26, 2021: Ethiopian community leaders
February 9, 2021: Montgomery County Department of Transportation
February 9, 2021: Existing Conditions presentation (open to public)
February 16, 2021: Office of Community Partnerships
February 23, 2021: Arts and Entertainment District
February 23, 2021: Sierra Club
March 1, 2021: Listening Session with Restaurant Owners (open to public)
March 2, 2021: Montgomery County Department of Transportation
March 2, 2021: Listening Session with Retail Owners (open to public)
March 3, 2021: Listening Session with Restaurant Owners (open to public)
March 3, 2021: Woodside Civic Association
March 12, 2021: Listening Session in Spanish (open to public)
March 15, 2021: Civic Center Users
March 16, 2021: What is Missing Middle Housing? Presentation to the Silver Spring community from Opticos Design (open to public)
March 23, 2021: Visioning Workshop: South Silver Spring (open to public)
March 30, 2021: Visioning Workshop: Metro Center/Ripley District (open to public)
April 6, 2021: Visioning Workshop: Fenton Village (open to public)
April 13, 2021: Visioning Workshop: Adjacent Communities (open to public)
April 20, 2021: Visioning Workshop: North Silver Spring (open to public)
April 27, 2021: Visioning Workshop: Adjacent Communities (open to public)
May 5, 2021: Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce
May 11, 2021: Chat with a Planner: Parks and Public Spaces (open to public)
May 18, 2021: Chat with a Planner: Creating a Sustainable Downtown (open to public)
May 25, 2021: Chat with a Planner: Affordable Housing (open to public)
May 27, 2021: Chat with a Planner: Civic Building/Veterans Plaza/Ellsworth Place (open to public)
June 3, 2021: Chat with a Planner: Civic Building/Veteran’s Plaza/Ellsworth Place (open to public)
June 7, 2021: United Therapeutics
June 8, 2021: Ethiopian Community leaders
June 17, 2021: Engagement with teens at Veterans Plaza
June 25, 2021: United Therapeutics
June 25, 2021: Round House Theatre
June 28, 2021: Eastern Avenue Apartments
June 28, 2021: Housing Opportunities Commission
July 12, 2021: 8040 13^th St property owners
July 14, 2021: United Therapeutics
July 22, 2021: Montgomery College
August 6, 2021: WMATA
August 12, 2021: Harvey Maisel, property owner
August 18, 2021: Blair Park Apartments and Montgomery Housing Partnership
August 25, 2021: Harvey Maisel, property owner
August 25, 2021: Seabury at Springvale Terrace
August 31, 2021: Silver Spring Library
September 13, 2021: Woodside Park Civic Association