Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan

Zoning is a set of local rules that determine what can be built on a property and how land can be used. It regulates things like building height, density, how far structures must be from property lines, and the types of land use allowed. Every property has a zoning designation. In Montgomery County, some zones allow single family houses, some allow apartment buildings, some allow stores and some allow for a mix of housing, retail and services. Zones can only be changed through a map amendment initiated by a master plan or county action, and zoning regulations can only be changed through a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA).

A zoning change does NOT tear anything down, change what’s already built, or force anyone to rebuild. All it means is that the rules for that property are updated so that different types of buildings are allowed in the future, if the property owner chooses. A zoning change only creates future opportunities. Existing homes, businesses, and buildings remain unchanged unless a property owner chooses to redevelop their property.

The Draft Plan’s land use and zoning recommendations are tailored to each “district” in the Plan Area, with property-specific recommendations. The overall approach to the Plan’s land use and zoning recommendations is included below, and property-specific recommendations are available on the interactive zoning map.

• Recommendation 1: Provide opportunities for more types of housing along main corridors and near Purple Line stations by rezoning single-family detached properties within one block of a main corridor and within a quarter mile of Purple Line stations from R-60 to Commercial Residential Neighborhood (CRN)-1.0 C-0, R-1.0, with additional modifications through a recommended overlay zone.For properties facing main corridors, allow single-family houses, duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and small multifamily buildings up to 45 feet in height. For properties facing neighborhood streets, allow single-family houses, duplexes, and triplexes, up to 40 feet in height.For properties facing main corridors and properties facing neighborhood streets, the CRN zone will include no commercial value, to restrict commercial uses and maintain these areas as residential. However, the draft overlay zone recommends permitting those non-residential uses that are currently allowed in the R-60 zone, such as daycares and home-based businesses.
• Recommendation 2: Provide opportunities for more housing and community services at places of worship, community centers and senior housing by rezoning to the Commercial Residential Town (CRT) zone or Commercial Residential Neighborhood (CRN) zone.
• Recommendation 3: Provide opportunities for more housing and neighborhood retail near transit by rezoning multi-family properties (more than 50 units) to the Commercial Residential (CR) zone or the Commercial Residential Town (CRT) zone and some smaller multi-family properties to the Commercial Residential Neighborhood (CRN) zone.
• Recommendation 4: Provide opportunities for more housing and neighborhood retail in Long Branch by maintaining the mixed-use zoning adopted in the 2013 Long Branch Sector Plan.

The Commercial Residential Neighborhood (CRN), Commercial Residential Town (CRT), and Commercial Residential (CR) zones which can allow for a mix of commercial uses (C) as well as residential (R) uses at varying densities and heights. The zones promote economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable development patterns where people can live, work, recreate, and access services and amenities. Each zone includes specific requirements for development, including setbacks and uses that is outlined by Chapter 59 of the Montgomery County Code.

An overlay zone includes specifications beyond those of the base zone, including requirements and standards that are necessary to achieve the planning goals and objectives for development or redevelopment in a specific area. The overlay zone is administered through a Zoning Text Amendment, a process through which the text of the county’s Zoning Ordinance is amended. The Zoning Text Amendment process is separate, but parallel to, the Master Plan Process.

The recommended overlay zone for the Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan includes guidance to ensure that new development is compatible with existing residential neighborhoods. It also prioritizes the creation of deeply affordable housing and retention of small businesses as public benefits when mixed-used development occurs. A draft of the overlay zone is included in the Plan Appendix, available on the Plan website.

The Draft Plan and related draft overlay zone include several measures to support neighborhood compatibility, including transitions in building types, heights, and setback requirements from the main corridors to the residential neighborhoods, limitations on consolidation, and design guidance promoting house-scale architecture, porches, stoops, landscaping, and articulated facades.

The draft overlay zone also requires site plan approval, through the development review process, for any development application of 10,000 square feet or larger of gross floor area. Site plan approval includes public notice, staff review, opportunities for community comment, and Planning Board hearings.

No. There is currently no development proposal for the YMCA Silver Spring property. The Plan recommendations create the option for future redevelopment if the YMCA chooses to pursue it, while emphasizing continued community-serving uses. The Draft Plan recommends a maximum building height of 60 feet and a floor area ratio (FAR) of 1.25 for the YMCA property, and includes recommendations to preserve existing green space and provide buffers between any future development, nearby homes, and the Capital Beltway.

The master plan sets a long-term (20-year) policy framework for public and private investment over the next 20 years and evaluates whether the overall transportation system can support that growth.

At a master-plan level, the transportation system is evaluated using five countywide measures: Non‑Auto Driver Mode Share (NADMS), Auto and Transit Accessibility, Auto and Transit Travel Times, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) per Capita, and Low‑Stress Bicycle Accessibility. If these measures show improvement, the transportation system is considered adequate. This evaluation is being completed for the Draft Plan and will soon be available in the appendix on the Plan website.

When specific development proposals or transportation projects move forward, the county conducts more detailed traffic analysis to identify impacts and required mitigation. Most development projects generating significant new vehicle trips must comply with the Growth and Infrastructure Policy and the Local Area Transportation Review Guidelines. Projects accessing state roads must also meet the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration’s requirements.

A master plan can identify locations with a history of severe crashes or safety issues and may recommend short‑term safety improvements, such as traffic‑calming measures, or long-term safety improvements like safer crossings, sidewalks and bikeways. However, detailed design and operational decisions occur during project-specific review and implementation.

Parking is required to be provided on-site for new development, consistent with the Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance. Current zoning regulations allow for reduced or eliminated parking requirements for development located within ½ mile of a Purple Line station or ¼ mile of an existing Bus Rapid Transit station or a Bus Rapid Transit station that has been funded for construction in the 6-year Capital Improvement Program at the time of development application. At present, there are no BRT stations within ¼ mile of the Colesville Road District or the University Boulevard North District funded for construction in the county’s CIP, meaning that if development were proposed today, standard on-site parking requirements outlined in the county’s Zoning Ordinance would still apply.

As part of the master plan process, Planning staff evaluates how the Plan’s recommendations will affect infrastructure and coordinates with relevant county agencies and service providers to determine if additional facilities and infrastructure will be needed to accommodate the growth anticipated in the Plan’s vision.

In addition to the process that occurs with the master plan, the Planning Board only approves new development after determining that the surrounding infrastructure, such as sidewalks, roads, and schools, can meet the needs of new residents, visitors, and students. The Growth and Infrastructure Policy (GIP), which establishes a process for analyzing a new development’s impact on public infrastructure and sets standards for determining if the infrastructure is adequate to accommodate the proposed development, guides how the Planning Board makes that determination by setting standards for evaluating public infrastructure and the impact an individual development may have on it. It also outlines how a developer can bring infrastructure up to standard so the project can proceed. Montgomery Planning initiates an update to the GIP every four years to ensure that the county is using the best tools available.

The Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan area was largely developed before modern stormwater management practices existed. As a result, many of the impervious surfaces—streets, roofs, driveways, and parking lots—were not designed to hold or slow down rainwater, allowing stormwater to flow quickly off these properties. With climate change bringing more intense and frequent storms, this runoff problem is becoming more severe.

Creating opportunities for redevelopment brings with it opportunities to add housing while also improving stormwater management, as required by county code. While runoff changes will differ from site to site, any redevelopment is required to improve stormwater management by adding new controls or upgrading older systems to meet today’s standards.

The Draft Plan also encourages using nature-based solutions when properties are developed or redeveloped. These include planting native trees and vegetation, adding bioretention areas and gardens, creating vegetated open spaces, and using permeable pavement or green roofs to help manage stormwater on-site.

The Draft Plan’s Healthy Corridor recommendations also seek to improve environmental conditions as properties along major roadways redevelop. In addition to the stormwater and green infrastructure improvements described above, the recommendations address traffic-related air pollution and heat through enhanced air filtration, layered vegetation, and the siting of sensitive uses and outdoor spaces to reduce exposure. These improvements can provide multiple environmental benefits and help create healthier, more resilient corridors.

In addition, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s RainScapes program offers rebates to property owners who install stormwater friendly features such as rain gardens, water harvesting systems, green roofs, permeable pavement, or by removing unnecessary pavement.

The Draft Plan focuses on helping existing small businesses stay in the community and supporting new locally owned businesses, while still allowing new development to move forward. It incentivizes property owners and developers to partner with local businesses by requiring specific public benefits when mixed-used development occurs and encourages the county to establish a Long Branch Community Enterprise Fund to provide low-cost loans and grants to locally owned businesses. It also supports the increased capacity of Long Branch Main Street, explores creating a commercial land trust to help maintain affordable commercial spaces, and promotes creation of a legacy or international business marketing program to highlight the area’s unique shops and restaurants.

The next opportunity to provide feedback on the Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan is through the Planning Board Public Hearings. Learn more about signing up to testify or submitting written testimony. There will be additional opportunities to comment on the Draft Plan through the County Council Public Hearings, anticipated in 2027.

The overlay zone is administered through a Zoning Text Amendment, a process through which the text of the county’s Zoning Ordinance is amended. The Zoning Text Amendment process is separate, but parallel to, the Master Plan Process, and will include public hearings with the Planning Board and the County Council. Dates for those public hearings will be determined by the Planning Board and County Council.