Montgomery County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Montgomery County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Burial Sites Context Study and Master Plan Amendment
Montgomery Planning is cataloging historic cemeteries countywide — 347 sites so far — as the foundation for the county's first thematic historic preservation master plan amendment. The work has real stakes: forgotten African American burial grounds, sites lost to development, and cases like Union Wesleyan Cemetery, where a cemetery was accidentally sold at tax auction in 1975.
FAES Bethesda rezoning (LMA H-160)
The council approved rezoning the FAES property at Old Georgetown Road and West Cedar Lane in Bethesda, allowing the clubhouse site to be redeveloped with eight townhouses and eight single-family homes plus a smaller event center.
Rockville self-storage rezoning (LMA H-161)
The public hearing on the comprehensive rezoning for the University Boulevard Corridor Plan was canceled due to a clerical error and rescheduled for September 15, 2026, as SMA H-163.
ZTA 25-14: Optional Method Public Benefits payment-in-lieu flexibility
Community groups had to collect consent from 75% of neighbors within 600 feet to hold events like National Night Out — a high bar that killed small events. The committee advanced a swap to a notice requirement with public safety heads-up.
Accessory dwelling units and solar zoning amendments
New zoning rules make it easier to build backyard cottages and in-law suites — one option for adding housing without big developments. Now enacted as Ordinance 20-36.
Rural Village vehicle repair zoning amendment
Council Vice President Balcombe introduced a zoning change letting auto repair operate as a limited use rather than a cumbersome conditional use in rural village centers, helping small businesses in underserved areas.
Reinstatement of nonconforming uses
Businesses that closed for less than five years could apply to reopen under their old zoning status, with neighbor notice, possible hearings, and an annual report to DPS. Aimed at cutting vacancy and bringing back neighborhood amenities.
Troubled Properties Executive Regulation
The council adopted Executive Regulation #1-25 on Troubled Properties, which the Planning, Housing and Parks Committee had recommended for approval.
Glenmont LMA H-149 remand
A Randolph Road/Georgia Avenue rezoning the council approved in 2024 is back after a court remand and a settlement between the parties, now with an added building-height condition. Action comes March 24 with a Hearing Examiner briefing.
Rose-Budd House historic designation
The 1912 Sandy Spring home of educator Perry Budd, tied to the area's historic Black community, is proposed for the Master Plan for Historic Preservation — it would be the only Sandy Spring residence listed for African American history.
Agricultural building exemptions from county building code
Bill 7-26 would exempt buildings used exclusively for agricultural purposes from county building code requirements. The wrinkle is agritourism — farms that host the public — where state law (Public Safety Article 12-508) sets its own rules, and the committee wants the county bill to line up.
Regional shopping center and biohealth/mixed-income housing ZTAs
Three zoning text amendments went through public hearings — one would lift the residential cap at regional malls like Montgomery Mall, and two would adjust eligibility rules for biohealth campuses and mixed-income housing communities. Committee action comes March 9.
Zoning amendments for retail, biohealth, and mixed-income housing
ZTA 26-02 would remove the 30 percent floor-area cap on housing at regional shopping centers, opening the door for more residential development at mall sites.