Montgomery County Council advanced the University Boulevard corridor plan on Dec. 2 after a lengthy second work session that covered chapters on community facilities, historic and burial resources, racial equity metrics and implementation steps.

Planning staff reviewed chapters 9–12 and the committee’s recommended edits, including retaining existing public facilities and recommending additional child daycare and senior services as development proceeds. Staff also proposed measures to track progress on racial equity, and Council members asked to add specific displacement indicators and generational‑wealth metrics to the monitoring framework.

Councilmember Mink moved to strike a sentence that would have locked in a prescriptive configuration of dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes on Route 29; the motion was seconded and adopted without objection. Planning staff cautioned that some data (such as renter race or ethnicity at the individual unit level) are not consistently available, and said displacement could be tracked using proxy indicators such as changes in homeownership and other aggregate measures.

After discussion and a set of agreed amendments, the Council held a straw vote to approve the plan as amended. The chair counted seven votes in favor and three opposed; the chair declared the motion passed and scheduled final action for Dec. 9. Councilmembers who voted against the straw vote said they appreciated the work but remained concerned about potential displacement and plan scope.

The staff packet and a draft resolution will be posted for public review ahead of next week’s final vote.