Planners seek community feedback on ideas for civic spaces, transportation options, building heights and environmental practices.
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, invites stakeholders and residents to learn more about the ongoing Bethesda Downtown Plan at a happy hour on January 22 and a public meeting on January 29. Results from the online questionnaire posted in December 2014, called the “Feedback Loop,” will be presented at both events. This digital survey encouraged the public to offer views on a number of concepts, ranging from bike paths to building heights.
Planners will discuss the latest developments in the Bethesda Downtown Plan at the informal happy hour that is being sponsored by SK&I Architectural Design Group (4600 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD) from 5-8:00 p.m. All residents who want to learn more about the plan and the planning process are welcome to attend. For more on the ideas being proposed, consult the slide presentation, Bethesda Downtown Plan Concepts: Planning Board Briefing 12.11.14, and watch the video of the presentation to the Planning Board.
A more formal public meeting will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2015 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Services Center (4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814). At that event, planning staff will present the Bethesda Downtown Plan concepts, comments from the Planning Board meeting on December 11, 2014 and results from the online Feedback Loop. The staff will conclude the meeting by answering questions from the audience.
The concepts proposed for the Bethesda Downtown Plan include:
-New civic gathering spaces and green amenities.
-Transportation options, including bike paths and Purple Line access.
-Pedestrian networks and street extensions.
-Proposed allowable building heights.
-Transitional areas next to residential neighborhoods.
-Focal areas of sustainability incorporating best environmental practices.
After the January public events, planners will complete the Staff Draft of the Bethesda Downtown Plan by April 2015. They will present the Staff Draft to the public later in the spring to receive more feedback and fine-tune the plan.
Questions, comments?
Email: bethesdadowntownplan@montgomeryplanning.org