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Council advances zoning amendments to address vacancy, storage uses and expedited commercial‑to‑residential conversions
Summary
The council approved a package of zoning-text amendments and a subdivision regulation change to allow targeted self‑storage uses under strict conditions, and to create an expedited commercial‑to‑residential reconstruction process; the measures include safeguards such as use and occupancy permits, site‑plan approvals and restrictions to preserve street activation and future conversion potential.
Montgomery County lawmakers moved this morning to give planners new tools for addressing long‑term vacancies in downtowns, adopting multiple zoning‑text amendments and a matching subdivision regulation amendment.
Key changes approved during the session include ZTA 25‑01 (often called the SAVE ZTA), which permits self‑storage above the ground floor in CR zones in limited circumstances—specifically for buildings that have been largely vacant and where ground‑floor community‑serving, philanthropic, or cultural uses remain. The measure seeks to encourage street activation while preventing permanent structural changes that would foreclose later residential or commercial reuse; it requires site‑plan approval…
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