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Developers and community groups urge Council to approve Viva White Oak district and TIF; traffic and BRT concerns raised

Montgomery County Council · January 13, 2026

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Summary

County officials, the developer and business groups urged creation of the Viva White Oak development district and TIF financing to fund necessary horizontal infrastructure (developers cited roughly $444 million of site/infrastructure costs and $2.8 billion in projected private investment); residents and advisory boards urged detailed traffic mitigation and BRT planning.

The County Council heard testimony on Jan. 13 about a resolution to create the Viva White Oak Development District and approve tax increment financing (TIF) to fund required public infrastructure.

County staff and the developer described the 280–294 acre site and the scale of needed public work: mass grading, environmental remediation, road realignments and utility upsizing. Developer and county witnesses quantified the horizontal costs and timeline: about $444,000,000 in horizontal (spine) infrastructure, more than $100,000,000 in additional public infrastructure, and a projected $2.8 billion in private investment. The developer said phase 1 would unlock the site and support retail, housing and thousands of construction and permanent jobs; the TIF bond process would require a six‑month underwriting and market process before final council authorization.

Supporters including local chambers, the East County Citizen Advisory Board, LabQuest and neighborhood associations urged prompt approval to keep momentum and preserve financing windows. They cited economic development, job creation and long‑delayed investment for East County.

Community speakers and advisory groups urged careful attention to traffic mitigation around key intersections (Old Columbia Pike/US‑29 Tech Road/Industrial Parkway, Cherry Hill Road and Broadbirch/Calverton Boulevard), requested public review of intersection designs and recommended shifting some local area transportation funding to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) planning to ensure transit capacity rather than only road widening.

The council closed the hearing and noted committee and submission deadlines for supplemental materials; no final vote was taken on Jan. 13.