County planning team reports broad public engagement, aims to deliver draft Montgomery Matters plan later this year

Montgomery County planning staff told the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 that the Montgomery Matters comprehensive‑plan update is about eight months into an 18‑month process and slightly ahead of schedule. Justin Sanders, lead planner, said a draft of the updated plan may be ready as early as late fall.

Sanders said outreach to date produced more than 1,000 responses to the county survey, more than 300 map‑based comments, 11 public “intercept” events that reached roughly 850 people, 20 stakeholder meetings with more than 80 participants, and two open houses that together collected about 600 comments. He described the plan as organized into three focus areas—culture and the outdoors, community development, and health and services—and said public comments repeatedly emphasized environmental protection, equity, and regional collaboration.

The plan’s working vision statement (as presented) reads: “Montgomery County is a vibrant and resilient community where forward‑thinking collaboration and initiatives empower all residents to thrive.” Sanders said four “core matters”—intentional, accessible, resilient and collaborative—will be used as cross‑cutting lenses when the staff and consultants refine goals and strategies for the plan’s chapters.

Sanders outlined draft goal areas the staff is developing: natural resource stewardship, cultural and historic preservation, recreational access, balanced growth and fiscal considerations for land use, livable and diverse housing, workforce and economic development, expanded childcare and library services, food access, public infrastructure (including broadband and renewable energy), and public safety with emphasis on vulnerable populations.

Next steps: staff will finalize draft goals and proposed implementation strategies, review them with stakeholder groups and the Montgomery Matters steering committee in February, and publish a targeted public survey in March. Village‑level outreach will follow in spring; staff is refining a definition of “village” to ensure outreach reaches underrepresented communities. Sanders said planners are coordinating with Parks and Recreation and hope to align recommendations with the county’s transportation and parks planning.

Why it matters: the comprehensive plan shapes long‑range land‑use decisions, infrastructure investments and policy priorities across Montgomery County for the next 20 years. Sanders said the planning team is working to make the update responsive to residents’ concerns about housing affordability, environmental protection, and service access.

Clarifying details: project is an 18‑month update led by planning with consultant EPRPC; team is eight months into the process; project aims to deliver a draft in late fall; survey responses >1,000; map comments >300; public intercept events reached ~850 people; stakeholder meetings 20 (>80 participants); open houses 2 (70 attendees combined) and ~600 comments.