The Montgomery County Council and Planning Department have announced a series of five in-person listening sessions to discuss the Planning Board’s Attainable Housing Strategies (AHS) recommendations.
The sessions are scheduled to begin on Sept. 11 at the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center in downtown Silver Spring.
The Attainable Housing Strategies initiative is a set of potential zoning modifications allowing property owners to build a broader range of housing types in areas that have only allowed one single-family detached home per lot for decades.
The Council’s Planning, Housing, and Parks Committee held three briefings over the summer to discuss the Planning Board’s recommendations.
Council President Andrew Friedson and Planning Department Director Jason K. Sartori will host the listening sessions, which will be held in each of the county’s five regional service areas and followed by a virtual meeting.
The listening sessions are scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. on the following dates and locations:
- Sept. 11: Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center at 1315 Apple Ave. in downtown Silver Spring;
- Sept. 12: Wheaton Community Recreation Center at 11701 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton;
- Sept. 17: White Oak Community Recreation Center at 1700 April Lane in Silver Spring;
- Sept. 23: Germantown Community Recreation Center at 18905 Kingsview Rd. in Germantown; and
- Sept. 25: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in Bethesda.
For those unable to attend the in-person sessions, a virtual session is scheduled for October 2 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The Council will announce further details about the virtual session closer to the date.
Residents are also welcome to share their feedback online.
County Council & Montgomery Planning to host six community listening sessions on Planning Board recommendations to help address Montgomery County’s housing crisis.
➡️Learn more: https://t.co/shxJMQJZIj.
✅Sign up to attend one of the listening sessions: https://t.co/v8lvJefK4X. pic.twitter.com/anXhleqnFs— Montgomery Council (@MoCoCouncilMD) August 15, 2024
“We face a severe housing shortage in Montgomery County which requires thoughtful, forward-looking action,” Council President Friedson said in a press release issued last week. “Finding a home that meets the evolving needs of our residents and families has become increasingly out of reach. I look forward to hearing a variety of perspectives and ideas from our residents, so we can work together to build on the recent progress we’ve made and refine solutions that support the type of communities and the quality of life we’ve come to expect in this great County.”
More information is available on the Council’s Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative Listening Sessions website.
Photo: © mehaniq41 – stock.adobe.com / Montgomery County Graphic