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Draft Clarksburg sector plan aims to steer housing, transportation and preservation; public hearing Jan. 21
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Summary
Montgomery Planning's draft update to the Clarksburg sector plan would guide redevelopment of major sites, add multimodal road connections and recommend historic designations; public hearing set for Jan. 21, 2026 at Rocky Hill School.
Montgomery Planning presented the draft update to the Clarksburg sector plan, describing recommendations to guide future residential development, transportation connections and historic-resource protections in the northern part of the county.
"El plan sector de Clarksburg es básicamente una actualización de una pequeña área del plan maestro de 1994," said Justin Gonze1lez, a transportation planner with Montgomery Planning, describing the effort as a focused revision of an older plan to reflect current market conditions and community priorities.
Key proposals: The draft recommends allowing a greater share of residential development on large study parcels (Justin cited roughly 200 hectares of the former Comsat laboratories and an adjacent family farm along West O Baltimore Road), improved multimodal connectivity (including completing Observation Drive between Gateway Center Drive and Rich Road and new connections through Little Seneca Parkway), and the addition of new parks and recreational facilities.
Historic recognition: The draft also recommends designating the Methodist community church and its cemetery and the Clarksburg Heights neighborhood as historic resources to acknowledge and preserve the area's African American heritage.
Public participation and timeline: The county announced a public hearing on Jan. 21, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Rocky Hill School. Residents may testify in person, submit written comments, or provide audio/video testimony in Spanish or English. After the hearing, Planning, Housing and Parks committee members will review testimony, hold February work sessions and may then recommend the draft to the full council for adoption.
Why it matters: The update would shape where growth occurs, how new streets and transit connections are prioritized, and which local places receive preservation resources. Planners said the draft balances adding housing opportunities with protecting natural and historic resources.
What residents can do: Officials encouraged community members to review the draft, sign up for the Jan. 21 hearing or submit written comments through the council calendar page listed by county communications.
