Community invited to discuss proposed changes to the transportation elements of the Subdivision Staging Policy at public meeting in Silver Spring
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is updating the Subdivision Staging Policy (formerly called Growth Policy) for review and approval by the County Council by November 15, 2016. The intent of the Subdivision Staging Policy is to ensure public facilities, particularly schools and transportation facilities, are adequate to meet the needs of new development.
“The update to the Subdivision Staging Policy is one of our most important initiatives,” says Planning Director Gwen Wright. “This effort happens every four years and lays the groundwork for how our County can continue to grow and thrive.”
A community meeting focusing on key transportation elements of the policy update will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 from 7 to 9 pm in the Montgomery County Planning Board auditorium in Silver Spring (8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD). This event presents the opportunity for the community to learn more about the Subdivision Staging Policy and share concerns about proposed changes to the policy. Representatives of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation will participate in the discussions. RSVPs are encouraged, but not required.
Background on Subdivision Staging Policy:
Revisions to the Subdivision Staging Policy are currently underway. Planning staff is researching new ideas in transportation and school capacity planning in preparation for the revised regulations, which will first be presented to the Planning Board in May 2016 for comment. This quadrennial policy includes criteria and guidance for the administration of the County’s Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO), which matches the timing of private development with the availability of public services.
In the past, the APFO was designed to ensure that road and school capacity – as well as water, sewer and other infrastructure — kept pace with growth. Where new areas of the County were being developed, infrastructure to support new homes and businesses was needed.
Today, much of the County has already been developed. Growth is occurring through infill development and redevelopment, as well as through the resale of existing homes to young families in many of the County’s established neighborhoods. This type of growth creates pressure on transportation systems and school facilities; however, the current tools used to evaluate the impact of these development patterns may not adequately account for these changing growth patterns, so they are being examined for their effectiveness.