Managing growth sustainably
Sustaining Growth for the 21st Century
Montgomery County adopts Growth Policy guiding development to areas where public services are in place
What makes a community a great place to live? How should Montgomery County grow?
Many Montgomery County residents would list hassle-free roads and uncrowded schools. Others also might mention convenient mass transit and rapid response times from public safety agencies.
The Montgomery County Planning Board helps ensure those basic amenities for both current – and future – residents. This spring (2007), its professional planning staff began updating the guidelines that govern where new development takes place, matching that growth to the availability of public services like transportation and schools.
These guidelines are called the growth policy. The growth policy implements a 1973 law, the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, which directs development to areas where public services are in place.
The 2007-2009 Growth Policy looked to:
- Strengthen transportation guidelines to better consider surrounding roads and transit
- Link the evaluation of school capacity to Montgomery County Public School program capacity
- Expand the definition of public facilities to include the environment (water pollution, air pollution, etc), energy, and affordable housing
- Establish a better way to measure the impact of growth and propose a fair impact tax for developers
- Consider ways to raise the standards for well-designed communities
County Council requirements
The Montgomery County Council considered these objectives and the recommendations and findings of the M-NCPPC Growth Policy report before passing its 2007-2009 Growth Policy Resolution on November 13, 2007. The resolution took effect on November 15, 2007 and applies to any subdivision preliminary plan filed on or after that date. Also, any subdivision preliminary plan for which a completed application was filed on or after January 1, 2007 and which the Planning Board did not approve before November 13, 2007 is subject to this resolution. This resolution includes mandatory impact fee rates that will developers must pay on projects effected under this policy. Fees will be used to address traffic congestion and increase school construction efforts.
Those anticipating to start development project planning should work early with M-NCPPC staff to comply with the County Council requirements.
On June 19, 2008 the Planning Board approved the new school enrollment figures for FY2009. The following links provide an updated summary , 105% test,120% test, and a memo for the Planning Board outlining any changes between FY2008 and FY2009.
For a summary of the growth policy actions, LATR/PAMR draft guidelines, policy area maps depicting school moratorium areas:Clarksburg cluster, a policy area map depicting PAMR mitigation requirements, and maps outlining the 1/2 mile MARC train boundary, see the chart below.
How this policy was established: The M-NCPPC Growth Policy Study
The adopted 2007-2009 Growth Policy Resolution is based on the Planning Board's recommendations: Toward Sustainable Growth for Montgomery County: A Growth Policy for the 21st Century. Below is a link to the Planning Board's recommendations as well as the accompanying cover letter written by Chairman Royce Hanson.
FINAL PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS- TOWARD SUSTAINABLE GROWTH FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY: A GROWTH POLICY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY |
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May 21, 2007 |
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May 21, 2007 |
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May 21, 2007 |
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May 21, 2007 |
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| History of the Growth Policy | May 21, 2007 |
| APFO Reform Part 1 | May 21, 2007 |
| APFO Reform Part 1 appendix | May 21, 2007 |
| APFO Reform Part 2 Transportation | May 21, 2007 |
| APFO Reform Part 2 appendix | May 21, 2007 |
| Infrastructure Financing | May 21, 2007 |
| A Vision for Sustainable Development in Montgomery County | May 21, 2007 |
| Design Excellence | May 21, 2007 |
Throughout the spring, the Planning Board heard from a diverse slate of planning experts about ways to guide growth. The growth management speakers series will continue this fall. For more information on upcoming speakers go to Excellence in Planning Speaker Series.
MEMOS PREPARED FOR THE PLANNING BOARD WORK SESSIONS |
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May 8, 2007 |
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May 10, 2007 |
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May 15, 2007 |
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May 15, 2007 |
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The Montgomery County Planning Department participated with graduate students in George Washington University's Public Policy and Public Administration Programs this spring. Two groups of students under the guidance of their professors and Planning Department staff researched, analyzed, and prepared reports on policy issues facing the County. The reports, titled: Considering Quality of Life in the Master Planning Process and Sustaining Smart Growth in Montgomery County are found below.
Additional links to research material:
- 2004 ADAC Report
- 2006 Highway Mobility Report
- APFO Maryland
- APFO Maryland Models
- APFO Schools
- This is Smart Growth
- M-NCPPC Quality of Life 2000
- LEED-ND Rating System
- Growth Managment and Affordable Housing, Part 1 Growth Management and Affordable Housing, Part 2
- MC Quality of Life--GWU Capstone Report
- Sustaining Smart Growth in Montgomery County- GWU Capstone Report
Need further information?
If you have questions about the growth policy, please contact:
Pamela Dunn, Planner Coordinator
Pamela.Dunn@mncppc-mc.org
301-650-5649
Montgomery County Planning Department
8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.montgomeryplanning.org
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