Town of Chevy Chase urges staged review as Bethesda overlay zone cap is debated

A public hearing on Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25‑04, which would amend the Bethesda Overlay Zone to implement recommendations in a Downtown Plan minor master plan amendment, drew contrasting testimony about removing the area’s development cap.

Irene Lane, mayor of the Town of Chevy Chase, told the council the town supports the Bethesda Downtown Plan’s goals of encouraging growth while protecting residents’ quality of life but urged caution about eliminating the cap. She said much approved development remains unbuilt and cited traffic delays at Wisconsin Avenue and Bradley Boulevard as evidence the county is already experiencing roadway capacity strains. “If we’re already surpassing roadway capacity, how can we justify removing a tool designed to help manage growth?” Lane asked. She recommended establishing periodic, data‑driven reviews—perhaps every five years—to assess cumulative impacts of development and incorporate community input.

Lane also said removing the cap would eliminate a comprehensive evaluation process she said helps ensure development aligns with plan objectives and allows timely policy adjustments. She pointed to past project‑level reviews that surfaced recommendations, such as increasing the park impact payment and eliminating a “use or lose” provision, which she said would not have emerged without those reviews.

Alex (Alex) Campbell, a University of Maryland student and Bethesda resident, offered the opposing view, urging the council to lift the cap. Campbell said lifting the cap would provide investors greater certainty, spur private investment that funds public recreation centers and deeply affordable housing units at no direct cost to county taxpayers, and increase market‑rate housing supply to address regional housing shortages. “Building more housing lowers housing costs, and not building more housing in dense urban cores contributes to urban sprawl,” Campbell said.

The council president noted a Planning, Housing and Parks Committee work session would be scheduled at a later date and kept the hearing open briefly to allow additional in‑person or virtual testimony. The public hearing record will remain open for written materials through close of business on April 10, 2025, per the council’s instructions.

The testimony at the hearing focused on traffic, school capacity, and the value of an institutional review mechanism versus the argument that removing the cap enables needed housing and investment. No formal council action on ZTA 25‑04 was recorded during the hearing.

The council invited more input and said committee review and additional public engagement would follow before any final council action.