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Home / Planning / Communities / Upcounty Planning / Fairland / Fairland Master Plan (1997) / Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan / Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Equitable Community Engagement

Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Equitable Community Engagement

The Montgomery Planning Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan team is engaging with the community throughout the plan update process. Since May 2021, the planning team has met with and listened to a variety of stakeholders, including residents, neighborhood groups, business owners, developers, service providers, elected and appointed officials, and county staff through a range of community engagement efforts, both in-person and on-line, to gather the concerns, ideas, and aspirations of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities. As the planning team moves into the plan drafting and refinement phases, we will continue to listen and seek the community’s feedback as the plan takes shape.

View past events below and learn more about what the team has heard from the community so far.


Visioning Workshops—June-July 2022

The community was invited to share its aspirations, ideas and feedback through a series of online and in-person workshops and events between June 27 and July 24, 2022 to help envision the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities and inform the draft plan. Results from this visioning series are provided below by meeting date.

View an introduction presentation for these workshops

Watch a recording of the introduction to the first online visioning workshop on June 27

Online visioning workshops

Screenshot of jamboard with digital sticky notes of comments grouped into categories
Example of a Jamboard used to gather comments during online workshops

Held via Zoom from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 27, and Tuesday, July 19, these online visioning workshops provided an opportunity for the community to discuss the master plan update and share ideas and recommendations for the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities through a series of virtual interactive activities.

June 27 Virtual Workshop Results

July 19 Virtual Workshop Results

In-person Fairland and Briggs Chaney visioning workshops

The community was invited to attend in-person workshops on July 6, 14, 22, and 24 to help envision the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities. Workshops were facilitated by Story Tapestries and planning team staff members through a series of small group engagement activities that focused on three areas of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan area coinciding with their general meeting locations. Additionally, community members were invited to share their ideas with the master plan team at an outdoor, family-friendly community event on July 22 at Fairland Recreational Park.

Wednesday, July 6 – Held at the Seventh-Day Adventist World Headquarters (12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD) from 6 to 8 p.m. The conversation focused on the southern portion of the master plan area.

July 6 breakout group notes

poster with sticky note comments placed under categories
people at tables listening to presenter at front of room
people looking at posterboards on easels

Thursday, July 14 – Held at the Greencastle Lakes Community Center (3661 Turbridge Drive, Burtonsville, MD) from 6 to 8 p.m. The conversation focused on the northern portion of the master plan area.

July 14 breakout group notes

board with sticky notes of different colors and notes written
peole standing and talking in front of map
group around table with papers, posters on windows in background

Friday, Jul 22 – Hosted by Montgomery Parks and Planning staff and other community partners, this outdoor, family-friendly community event was held at the M-NCPPC Fairland Recreational Park (3928 Greencastle Road, Burtonsville, MD)  from 5 to 8 p.m.

blue Montgomery Planning tent
Montgomery Planning staff in blue shirts under blue tent
two people looking at poster on easel under a green tent
Graphic recording of Fairland Regional Parkvisioning workshop. How can we make a more connected community? Feedback includes: Air flowing through, community gardens, smaller lower homes and apartments, make it easier for seniors, house sharing, middle housing, senior houssing, multi-modal, green spaces to interact, intergenerational, join the local fire department, community college campus, trade schools, accessibility, dog parks, pedestrian bridges, rebuild Banneker, safe walking paths, protected bike lanes, gathering places, childcare, more play areas

Sunday, July 24 – Held at the East County Community Recreation Center (3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring, MD) from 2 to 4 p.m.. The conversation focused on the central portion of the master plan area.

July 24 breakout group notes

group around table with papers
table with sticky notes of different colors and notes written
table with sticky notes of different colors and notes written
Graphic recording of East County community center visioning workshop. How can we make a more connected community? Feedback includes: Live music, music in the air, big trees, Rec center: important conversations and teaching the youth, the right police, safe sidewalks, bikeable, family owned businesses, more shops, affordable, walkable dog park, friendly green spaces

Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival Virtual Kickoff—June 1, 2022

The Montgomery County Planning Department and the Dallas-based nonprofit Better Block Foundation invite residents and business owners to collaborate on a special placemaking initiative to demonstrate the goals of the ongoing Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan. A virtual kickoff meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 1 at 6 p.m. via Microsoft Teams to launch the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival effort. The placemaking festival will culminate with a free, community-led event scheduled for October 21 and October 22. RSVPs are required to attend the kickoff meeting. Please make a request for accessibility or language accommodations for the meeting by May 23.


Existing Conditions Analysis—April 2022

The Planning team documented community assets and the existing physical conditions of the plan area, including transportation infrastructure, parks, schools, housing, businesses, environmental conditions, and other features. Montgomery Planning staff presented a summary of these conditions to the Planning Board and made it available to the public.

View a recording of the Existing Conditions virtual community meeting held on April 19.

The existing conditions report for the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan was presented to the Planning Board on April 21.

Watch a recording of the Existing Conditions report to the Planning Board on April 21(opens in a new tab).

View the presentation slides for the Planning Board Existing Conditions Report.


Fairland and Briggs Chaney Listening Series—November 1, 4, 10 and 19, 2021

The Montgomery County Planning Department invited the community to attend a four-part virtual listening series on the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan. The listening series focused on parks and recreation, sustainable growth and economic development, transportation and mobility and equitable food systems. Each of the sessions was hosted virtually online through the Microsoft Teams platform and recorded and made available on-demand.

Each session was facilitated by Montgomery Planning staff and included a short presentation about the background of the master plan followed by the listening portion where participants shared their priorities and goals for the future. To spark conversations and increase understanding the events featured Story Tapestries, known for their ability to inspire, motivate, and break down barriers to participation.

Read more about the sessions


Parks, Recreation, and Places to Play—November 1, 2021

Presentation | Composition booklet | Jamboard

An Equitable Community, a Vibrant Economy and a Healthy Environment—November 4, 2021


View presentation | Composition booklet | Jamboard

Mobility and Equitable Infrastructure—November 10, 2021

View presentation | Composition booklet | Jamboard

Food to Thrive—November 19, 2021

View presentation | Composition booklet | Jamboard


Pedestrian Walk Audit—October 6, 2021


Fairland and Briggs Chaney Canvassing—Summer 2021

View the canvassing flyer


Fairland community conversations graphicCommUNITY Conversations in Fairland—May-June 2021

Racial equity, inclusion, connectedness and culture are critical topics to embrace in planning in order to envision and create truly diverse and complete communities. The three-part CommUNITY Conversations in Fairland speaker series discussed these topics and more which are being studied in the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan.

Read more and watch the CommUNITY Conversations in Fairland

Staff contacts

Clark Larson, AICP
301-495-1331
Email