The Gaithersburg Planning Commission on Aug. 6 recommended approval, 4–0, of an amendment to the schematic development plan (ASDP‑9990‑2024) to allow three additions totaling 7,988 square feet at 200 Orchard Ridge Drive on the AstraZeneca campus.

Planning staff presented the ASDP amendment for Building 200 and said the campus already includes approximately 818,000 square feet of office and research space, with about 103,000 square feet located at the 200 Orchard Ridge building. Carolyn Seiden, the staff presenter for the public hearing portion, said the amendment is to SDP 70592015, originally approved in October 2015 by resolution R‑82‑15, and that the application proposes site work including relocation of a loading area and modifications to adjacent surface parking.

Hannah Williams, representing AstraZeneca, said the work is a renovation requested by current occupants and "we are not changing the purpose of the building. It will remain commercial office space." She added the project is intended to revitalize interior and exterior spaces to support existing business needs without increasing employee head count.

Project designer Dana Verbosch described site and building issues the additions aim to fix: an underused circular drop‑off, a highly visible loading dock on the primary approach, limited pedestrian connections, stormwater management deficits, aging building systems, and water infiltration and energy‑inefficient glazing. Proposed changes include relocating the loading dock to the building’s rear, adding a clear main entrance, increasing glazing in targeted areas, roof terrace and amenity improvements, and landscape changes intended to increase native planting and improve pedestrian circulation.

Commissioners questioned the scope and timing. Staff and the applicant clarified the application before the commission is the Phase 1 scope — the building additions and the immediate adjacent site shown inside a dashed blue line — while additional campus improvements to the remainder of the site are considered "Phase 2" with a timeline listed as TBD. Staff explained much of Phase 2 does not require an ASDP amendment and can be reviewed later at final site plan or staff level.

Commissioners asked staff to seek a phasing plan and timeline as part of the final site plan submittal. Staff indicated that direction to staff is appropriate but that a phasing plan would be reviewed with the final site plan or subsequent submissions. The commission closed the public record and recommended approval to the mayor and council with one minor condition (a plan linework correction noted in the staff report). Both the record‑closure and the recommendation motions passed 4–0.

Construction fencing, temporary signage and a single controlled construction entry are already in place, the applicant said; the applicant also said the additions are intended to increase indoor amenity space and improve pedestrian connections without increasing headcount.

The recommendation, including the staff analysis and exhibits, will be forwarded to the mayor and council; final site plan submissions are expected to include more detailed phasing and implementation information.