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Developer urges council to approve 'Street Activation and Vacancy Elimination' zoning change for ground‑floor civic uses
Summary
Turbanel Real Estate Partners told the council its conversions of vacant office buildings to self‑storage plus ground‑floor nonprofit uses would activate streets and help revitalize "ghost" buildings. The public hearing closed and a planning committee work session was scheduled.
John Sweeney of Turbanel Real Estate Partners told the Montgomery County Council March 3 that a zoning text amendment called the Street Activation and Vacancy Elimination ZTA ("SAVES ZTA") would let owners convert long‑vacant office buildings into mixed uses that activate the street.
"When these types of uses are not viable, we have found that a self storage use provides a meaningful benefit, especially when combined with other public amenities as required by the Save Zoning Text Amendment," Sweeney said. He said the ZTA would require a philanthropic or cultural institution on the ground floor and preservation of the building’s office character by keeping facades and windows intact.
Sweeney said his company focuses on adaptive reuse and that the SAVES ZTA would be "a game changer for nonprofits" that need flexible ground‑floor spaces. The planning, housing and parks committee scheduled a work session on the ZTA for March 24, 2025, and written testimony deadlines were announced at the hearing.
The public hearing included one in‑person speaker on the item; the council closed the hearing after Sweeney's remarks and noted colleagues on Zoom were listening. There was no council vote at the hearing.
