Working Draft of Sector Plan responds to community concerns over zoning classifications, district boundaries and other issues
Silver Spring, MD –The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, approved the staff’s revised Working Draft of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan as the Planning Board Draft on its meeting held on Thursday, December 17.
The Working Draft focused on key aspects of the plan including issues such as commercial and residential affordability, as well as much needed public benefits within the Sector Plan area. The Plan addressed issues that were raised by the community over zoning classifications, district boundaries and zoning and density. A public hearing on the Working Draft, now titled the Public Hearing Draft, is scheduled for February 11, 2016.
View the Working Draft of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan.
View the Staff Report for the December 17 Planning Board presentation including errata sheet.
The Board’s public hearing in February will be held at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD). The community will be invited to provide written or emailed testimony prior to the public hearing and can also sign up to speak in person at the hearing.
The community is invited to stay involved with the progress of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan by:
-Visiting the Greater Lyttonsville Montgomery County Planning Department webpage.
-Listening or watching the staff presentation live or on-demand from the December 17 meeting.
–Signing up to participate in the public hearing or providing written testimony.
November 2015 Community Meeting Recap
A community meeting was held on November 18, 2015 so that the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan team could address concerns from residents regarding the Working Draft recommendations. Approximately 50 attendees listened to the planners’ presentation on these topics of concern, including the following:
-Urban Road Code clarifications.
-Total number of residential units and their effect on local schools and transportation.
-Zoning classifications: Commercial Residential Neighborhood versus Commercial Residential Town zones.
-Community benefits of land swaps with the Montgomery County Parks Department.
-Preserving community character.
-Language used in the Draft Plan to explain goals.
For more details on this November meeting, consult the presentation online.
Background on the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan
Spurred by the future construction of two Purple Line light rail stations in Greater Lyttonsville, the new Sector Plan examines ways to leverage these significant public infrastructure investments, while preserving the integrity of area neighborhoods that have a rich history and a strong sense of community. The Plan recommends ways of connecting residential, industrial and institutional districts, attracting mixed-use development and expanding parks, trails and open spaces. Recent planning efforts build on the goal of the 2000 North and West Silver Spring Master Plan to preserve this diverse community as a desirable place to live, work and play.
After community meetings were held in January and April 2015, the Planning team revised suggestions for bike and pedestrian connections in and around the Rosemary Hills Lyttonsville Local Park.
Recommendations in the Plan focus on:
-Providing pedestrian and bicycle connections to the two proposed Purple Line light rail stations.
-Preserving, rather than rezoning, a majority of the industrial areas.
-Preserving single-family residential areas.
-Proposing zoning changes primarily in areas around the future Purple Line stations or close to the Silver Spring central business district.
Learn more about the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan and how to get involved with shaping the future of this community.