County hearing draws heated debate over ‘More Housing Now’ zoning package and 25-year tax-abatement pilot

Montgomery County Council members heard more than six hours of public testimony March 3 on a package of zoning and tax changes designed to spur housing construction near major corridors and convert underused commercial buildings to residences.

Supporters — including the county planning board, affordable‑housing advocates, business groups and some municipal officials — said the package creates tools to increase housing supply and homeownership options for middle‑income residents and to repurpose vacant office space. Artie Harris, chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board, said the suite of bills ‘‘tackles the crisis from numerous perspectives’’ and that the board ‘‘remains available to support the council as you move this package forward through work sessions.’’

Opponents — including many civic associations, neighborhood residents and civil‑rights and teacher groups — warned the changes could spur displacement, strain schools and utilities, increase traffic and give developers large public subsidies while producing few deeply affordable units. Debbie Heller, a council member from the town of Somerset, urged a pause: ‘‘Please pause the now zoning process and bring a representative from every stakeholder group to the table and start again.’’

What’s proposed - Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25‑02…