The Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan outlines the goals, policies and strategies to address future challenges in the Fairland and Briggs Chaney community. Not only does the plan seek to make room for growth, jobs and new residents, but it also strives to improve the quality of life for people already living here, supporting a more prosperous, equitable, and resilient community in East County.
Approved and adopted by the M-NCPPC
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) voted unanimously to approve and adopt the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan at its meeting on January 17, 2024. Following adoption of the plan, the Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Council approved a Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) to change zoning districts in the plan area per the plan’s recommendations. The County Council approved the SMA on June 18, 2024. View the updated zoning districts.
View the approved and adopted Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan.
Implementation Advisory Committee
Scope of Work
Process and timeline
Plan boundary
Equitable community engagement
Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Implementation Advisory Committee
A major recommendation of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan is the establishment of an Implementation Advisory Committee (IAC) to help guide the plan’s community objectives and implement the plan. Committee members are appointed by the Montgomery County Planning Board and monitor the plan’s implementation.
Eleven members of the inaugural Fairland and Briggs Chaney IAC were appointed by the Planning Board on July 25, 2024 to help set a course for master plan implementation.
Project timeline
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April 2021Scope of Work
On April 8, 2021, the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan presented the Scope of Work and plan boundary map to the Planning Board. -
May to August 2021Project Kickoff
Montgomery Planning held its first virtual Spring Speakers Series focused on topics relevant to the Fairland and Briggs Chaney community and documented existing conditions for use throughout the planning process. In July and August, our partner, Everyday Canvassing, conducted interviews across the community to better understand the people, places, and stories of Fairland and Briggs Chaney. -
Fall 2021 to Spring 2022Listening Phase and Existing Conditions Analysis
Montgomery Planning conducted an extensive community engagement process of public participation and involvement that built relationships though listening and learning about the people and places that make up the community.
View recordings of the Listening Series meetings and other community engagement activities.
Read the Community Engagement Report.
The Planning team also continued to document community assets and the existing physical conditions of the plan area in anticipation of the next phases of community visioning and preparing preliminary recommendations. This included transportation infrastructure, parks, schools, housing, businesses, environmental conditions, and other features. -
Spring 2022 to Winter 2023Visioning
The planning team held a series of visioning workshops and meetings with community stakeholdersto inform the development of staff’s preliminary recommendations.
Learn more about the visioning workshops and watch the recap poem video.
A Montgomery Planning-sponsored placemaking festival on October 21-22, 2022 brought to life the visions of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan by temporarily reimagining a portion of the Briggs Chaney Park and Ride lot and testing some of the envisioned community amenities in real life.
Learn more about the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking festival held on October 21-22.
Preliminary Recommendations
Preliminary recommendations drew from hundreds of comments, conversations, ideas, and illustrations generated by visioning workshop participants and community stakeholders over the summer of 2022 to realize the general vision expressed over the course of these workshops for a more engaging, safe, and supportive community. They formed the basis for the recommendations that were included in later master plan drafts.
The planning team presented an initial set of preliminary plan recommendations to the community and Montgomery County Planning Board at two meetings in September 2022.
• Community Open House – Tuesday, September 27 at the East County Community Recreation Center (in-person meeting)
• Planning Board Briefing – Thursday, September 29 at the Wheaton HQ Auditorium. View the recorded video and download the presentation slides.
Preliminary recommendations draw from hundreds of comments, conversations, ideas, and illustrations generated by visioning workshop participants and community stakeholders this past June and July and are intended to realize the general vision expressed over the course of these workshops for a more engaging, safe, and supportive community.
A community meeting was held on January 17, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Paint Branch High School cafeteria (14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866) to preview a full set of preliminary recommendations before release of the Working Draft Plan in early Spring 2023. Download the presentation slides. View the plan’s full set of Preliminary Recommendations. -
Fall 2022 to Winter 2023Refining (Working Draft)
During this phase, the planning team prepared a draft plan to incorporate community feedback to realize the shared vision for the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney community. At its March 23, 2023 meeting, the Planning Board added its comments and accepted the Working Draft of the plan as the Public Hearing Draft.
View the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Working Draft -
Spring 2023Sharing (Planning Board Public Hearing)
At its March 23 meeting, the Planning Board accepted the Working Draft of the plan as the Public Hearing Draft. Following the Planning Board Public Hearing held on May 4 to accept oral testimony, the public was encouraged to review and provide additional written testimony on the draft plan to the Planning Board through the close of the public record on May 19, 2023.
View the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Public Hearing Draft .
View a recording of the Planning Board Public Hearing on May 4.
View the staff presentation slides from the May 4 Public Hearing.
View the staff report for the May 4 Public Hearing
Additional Documents for the Public Record
1997 Fairland Master Plan
Council Proposed Draft Thrive Montgomery 2050, October 2022
2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan
2018 Technical Update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways
2018 Montgomery County Bicycle Master Plan
Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Community Engagement Report, February 2022
Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Existing Conditions Report, April 2022
Fairland and Briggs Chaney Housing Market Assessment Study, July 2022
Sharing (Planning Board Work Sessions and Planning Board Draft)
The Planning Board held two work sessions on May 18 and 25 to review public testimony and make revisions to the draft plan. They directed staff to incorporate revisions to the Public Hearing Draft and approved the Planning Board Draft for transmittal to the County Council on May 25, 2023.
View the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Planning Board Draft
View the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Planning Board Draft – Appendices A-Transportation Modeling Analysis, B-Community Engagement, and C-Climate Assessment Report
View a recording of the May 18 Planning Board Work Session
View the staff report for the May 18 Planning Board Work Session
View a recording of the May 25 Planning Board Work Session
View the staff report for the May 25 Planning Board Work Session.
View the May 25 staff report Attachment A: Complete Written Public Testimony
View the May 25 staff report Attachment B: Planning Board Direction from May 18 Work Session
View the May 25 staff report Attachment C: Summary Matrix of Written and Oral Testimony -
Summer to Fall 2023County Council and County Executive
During this phase, the Montgomery County Council and County Executive reviewed the approved Planning Board Draft of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan for consideration of approval. The County Council held a public hearing on September 27, 2023 to accept public comments on the Planning Board Draft Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan.
View the staff report for the September 27 Council Public Hearing
View testimony submitted to the County Council
View a recording of the September 27 Council Public Hearing
The Council’s Planning, Housing, and Parks (PHP) Committee held a series of work sessions to review public comments before recommending the plan to the Full Council with revisions.
View the staff report for the October 16 PHP Committee Work Session
View a recording of the October 16 PHP Committee Work Session
View the staff reports for the October 23 PHP Committee Work Session – Staff Report 1 and Staff Report 2
View a recording of the October 23 PHP Committee Work Session
View the staff report for the October 30 PHP Committee Work Session
View a recording of the October 30 PHP Committee Work Session
View the staff report for the November 6 PHP Committee Work Session
View a recording of the November 6 PHP Committee Work Session
After considering the PHP Committee’s recommended revisions during two work sessions, the County Council approved a resolution to adopt the plan on December 12, 2023.
View the staff report for the November 14 Council Work Session
View a recording of the November 14 Council Work Session
View the staff report for the November 28 Council Work Session
View a recording of the November 28 Council Work Session
View the staff report for the December 12 Council Meeting to approve the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan
View a recording of the December 12 Council Meeting to approve the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan
View the Interim County Council-Approved Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan -
Winter 2023/2024M-NCPPC Master Plan Adoption
The council-approved master plan was transmitted back to the Planning Board and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) for final approval and adoption.
View the staff report for the December 21 Planning Board meeting to approve a Resolution of Adoption
View a recording of the December 21 Planning Board meeting
View the agenda packet for the January 17, 2024 Full Commission meeting – Item 4.e
View a recording of the January 17 Commission meeting -
Winter to Spring 2024Sectional Map Amendment
The Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) process is the final step in the master plan process. The SMA implements all zoning recommendations approved and adopted in the master plan. The Planning Board authorizes the SMA application submittal to the County Council. The County Council conducts a public hearing followed by work sessions, and consideration to approve zoning map changes.
The Planning Board approved the Fairland and Briggs Chaney SMA on February 29, 2024 and the Montgomery County Council approved the SMA on June 18, 2024.
View the Certified Sectional Map Amendment Map Index for the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan.