There are many opportunities this fall to provide feedback on the vision for the future of the plan area; in-person Visioning Open House scheduled for Oct. 18
WHEATON, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), and the City of Takoma Park invite the community to participate in multiple events this fall as the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment enters the “Visioning Phase” of the process. In addition to community farmers markets events, the planning team will host a Visioning Open House on Tuesday, October 18, at Piney Branch Elementary School (7510 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912) from 7 to 9 p.m. The event will consist of an open-house style format on what the future of Takoma Park could look like at the Washington Adventist Hospital and University campuses, the Erie Center, as well as the area along Maple Avenue. RSVPs are encouraged. For ADA accommodations or to request materials in alternate formats, consult the Montgomery Planning Accessibility webpage or contact the Montgomery Planning ADA Coordinator at 301-495-1324. For language translation needs, please contact the planning team by Tuesday, October 4, to make accommodations.
RSVP for the October 18 Visioning Open House
Staff will work with residents and other stakeholders to consider opportunities, expectations, and goals for the plan area. This effort, in addition to the work completed during our existing conditions phase, will be used to craft the vision for the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment.
Calendar of events
September 14 – The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment team will present an update on plan engagement to the Takoma Park City Council. Community members may consult the City Council’s agenda for more information, including how to watch the briefing online via live stream.
September 15 – The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment team will present an update on plan engagement to the Montgomery County Planning Board (this will be the same briefing presented to the City of Takoma Park on September 14). Agendas are usually made public 10 days prior to the start of a meeting. For ADA accommodations or to request materials in alternate formats, consult the Montgomery Planning Accessibility webpage or contact the Montgomery Planning ADA Coordinator at 301-495-1324.
September 25 – Meet the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment team at the Takoma Park Farmers Market (6931 Laurel Avenue, Takoma Park, MD) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn about the planning process and get some free gear!
September 29 – Meet the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment team at the Crossroads Farmers Market (located at Anne Street at University Boulevard in Takoma Park, one block west of New Hampshire Avenue) from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Learn about the planning process and get some free gear!
October 18 – Attend the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment in-person Visioning Open House at Piney Branch Elementary (7510 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912) from 7 to 9 p.m. Meet with the planning team, draw, comment, and provide ideas on the future of Washington Adventist Hospital and University campuses, the Erie Center, as well as the area along Maple Avenue.
To stay up to date on the progress of this plan, sign up for our eLetter. You can also reach out directly to the project team with any questions or comments about the plan:
Melissa Williams, Project Lead
301-495-4642
takomaparkmma@montgomeryplanning.org
View the plan’s March 2022 Existing Conditions Report presentation.
About the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment
Before moving to White Oak in 2019, the Washington Adventist Hospital was one of the largest employers in Takoma Park and contributed to the community for over 100 years. Now Montgomery Planning, in partnership with the City of Takoma Park, has the unique opportunity to revisit the area and update related portions of the 2000 Takoma Park Master Plan with the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment. The Minor Master Plan Amendment will re-envision the Washington Adventist Hospital and University campuses, the Erie Center, as well as the area along Maple Avenue. The planning team will work with community members throughout the planning process to guide the area’s growth.
About the Equity Agenda for Planning
Montgomery Planning recognizes and acknowledges the role that our plans and policies have played in creating and perpetuating racial inequity in Montgomery County. We are committed to transforming the way we work as we seek to address, mitigate, and eliminate inequities from the past and to developing planning solutions to create equitable communities in the future. While it will take time to fully develop a new methodology for equity in the planning process, we cannot delay applying an equity lens to our work. Efforts to date include:
Developing an Equity Agenda for Planning. The Planning Board approved Equity in Master Planning Framework, and Montgomery Planning staff is implementing its action items.
Prioritizing equity in Thrive Montgomery 2050. Community Equity is one of the three priority areas of our county General Plan update, Thrive Montgomery 2050.
Focusing on equity in upcoming plans. Equity is a central focus of the Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan, the first master plan to launch since Montgomery County’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Act passed. All upcoming plans and studies will have an equity focus.
Created an Equity Focus Areas mapping tool and developing a Community Equity Index. Equity Focus Areas in Montgomery County have high concentrations of lower-income people of color, who may also speak English less than very well. Montgomery Planning developed this data-driven tool to identify and map these areas to assess potential racial and social inequities and produce master plans that will foster more equitable outcomes for communities in Montgomery County. The Community Equity Index will expand on the previous Equity Focus Area analysis, creating a more robust, diagnostic tool providing additional detail of critically selected neighborhood characteristics relevant for equity analysis countywide.
Viewing management and operations through an equity lens. Our efforts are not limited to the master planning process. Management and operational functions like communications and human resources are developing approaches, tools, plans, and training to ensure that we look at everything through an equity lens.