Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chevy Chase Section 5 raises concerns about County housing billlot "joining," corner-lot eligibility and parking
Summary
Section 5's council heard a briefing from its housing attorney on Montgomery County ZTA 25-02, flagging that current subdivision rules could allow lot "joining," that adding corner lots as eligible for redevelopment would worsen parking on interior streets, and that municipalities want historically designated properties excluded and an address-by-address eligibility list.
Section 5's municipal attorney Michele Rosenfeld told the council on June 10 that the Planning, Housing and Parks committee will hold a worksession on June 23 and could send ZTA 25-02 to the County Council with recommendations later this summer.
Rosenfeld said current subdivision law can permit lots fronting on corridors to be “joined” with adjacent or rear lots, a consolidation Section 5 and other Chevy Chase municipalities have asked the county to prohibit. She also flagged that committee discussion has included adding corner lots along corridors to the bill’s eligible parcels, which she said would "exacerbate already heavy parking demand on interior neighborhood streets."
The Council and residents identified a set of proposed amendments they want considered: expressly excluding historically designated properties; requiring the county to publish an address-by-address list of eligible properties on the adoption date; maintaining current on-site parking requirements of two spaces per housing unit; and disallowing waivers of on-site stormwater controls.
A resident urged neighbors to contact County Councilmembers, saying some residents mistakenly think ZTA 25-02's narrower geographic scope minimizes local impact. The Town Manager agreed to circulate County Council contact information to residents.
Why it matters: ZTA 25-02 would change redevelopment rules along commercial corridors in ways that could directly affect lot consolidation, parking and drainage in Section 5. The committee schedule and the specific amendments sought by municipalities will shape whether and how the County Council adopts the bill.
What's next: Rosenfeld said the County committee may hold a second worksession in July; the Council should consider the proposed amendments and continue outreach to County Councilmembers.
