Planning board urges targeted setbacks as council hears support for ZTA 26-09 allowing vehicle repair in rural village overlay

The Montgomery County Council received public testimony and Planning Board comments on Zoning Text Amendment 26-09, which would allow vehicle repair (minor and major) as a limited use in the Rural Village Center overlay and adjust setbacks and shading requirements.

Ben Burbert, representing the Montgomery County Planning Board, told the council the board "generally supports this ZTA, but does have a couple of recommendations." He urged against a blanket reduction of the major-repair setback from 100 to 50 feet and recommended that the Planning Board be permitted to reduce setbacks through site-plan review only after finding that a proposed design is compatible with adjacent uses. Burbert also asked for clarity that the setback rules apply only to new construction and not to new parking, vehicle storage, or expansions exempt from planning, and suggested that if alternative shade structures are allowed the applicant should plant required trees elsewhere on the property to preserve the overlay's greening intent.

Supporters of Wilnick Auto Body and Mechanical Repair told the council the ZTA would remove a costly conditional-use process and enable a small, locally owned business to continue operating. "Wilnick is reliable and they are needed for this community," said Andre Lehta, who said he has been a client for many years. Casey Cerner, an attorney speaking for Wilnick Auto, requested the council adopt ZTA 26-09 with the Planning Board's recommended amendments and read the board's suggested setback language to allow context-sensitive site-plan flexibility.

Denise Fredericks, a longtime resident and former Montgomery Community Media board member, urged the council to consider equity concerns and the importance of retaining a black woman-owned, eco-friendly business that has served the community for more than two decades.

The ZTA also would permit alternatives to trees for parking-area shading if the required number of trees are planted elsewhere on-site, a change proponents say protects vehicles and business operations. Opponents of unconstrained setback reductions cited compatibility and climate-assessment concerns.

No formal vote was taken at the hearing. The council president set a written-submission deadline for materials the council should consider (07/30/2026) and said a Planning, Housing and Parks Committee work session will be scheduled at a later date.

What happens next: The council will receive the Planning Board's formal recommendation letter (not yet on the record at the time of the hearing), hold a committee work session to examine the ZTA and recommended language, and may vote on a final ordinance at a subsequent public meeting.