WHEATON, Md. – Montgomery Parks, Montgomery Planning, and the Montgomery County Planning Board, all part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), presented their Fall 2024 Semiannual Report to the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. The presentation summarized key projects, initiatives, and activities from the past six months and those that will be completed over the next six months and beyond.
Watch the Fall 2024 Semiannual presentation.
Planning Board Chair Artie Harris highlighted the Planning Board’s reviews and approvals of development projects over the past year that encompass more than 2,500 housing units and more than 600,000 square feet of commercial space. Chair Harris also discussed the Planning Board’s continued focus on approving plans and projects that support the county’s economic strength, environmental stewardship, and community equity. Improving regional planning and coordination with government agencies and private sector partners was another focal point of his presentation.
“The Planning Board recognizes the importance of not just working within our county but convening our partners across the whole region,” Harris said. “The shared priorities of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties within the Commission can serve as a catalyst and driver for moving our region forward in housing, economic development and the protection of our natural environment.”
Montgomery Planning Director Jason K. Sartori introduced the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which will serve as a roadmap for how Montgomery Planning will prioritize and structure its work over the next five years. The plan was prepared using feedback from community and staff members, along with an analysis of existing policies and strategies.
“It sets our shared vision, reaffirms our commitment to our core values, defines our unique mission, and outlines the strategies that will guide our work,” Sartori said. “This plan is a call to action for how the department will move our work forward having the greatest positive impact on Montgomery County’s residents and visitors.”
Sartori debuted a new interactive mapping tool that illustrates the history of housing development in the county since 1940, and he provided updates on the department’s ongoing master plan work as well as engagement updates highlighted by a recap of the Damascus Placemaking Festival.
Montgomery Parks Director Miti Figueredo highlighted the pivotal role parks play in enhancing quality of life, the breadth of its facilities and programs, and the work it takes to sustain a century-old park system that serves the entire county.
“Our parks are the heart of our community—they enrich our quality of life, foster connections, and invite everyone to enjoy the beauty of nature,” said Figueredo. “By investing in both the maintenance of our parks and the development of new, engaging programs, we’re not only preserving a century-old legacy but actively building a future where these spaces continue to thrive as vital resources for all residents.”
Figueredo’s report also showcased the wide array of programs and events that draw residents off their couches and into the county’s parks, as well as the planning, construction, and maintenance projects that keep them vibrant and well-kept. Figueredo also highlighted that the department’s environmental stewardship efforts remain at the heart of its mission, focusing on conservation and sustainability practices that protect these green spaces for generations to come.
Recent Notable Achievements
Montgomery County Planning Board
- Reviewed and approved 37 development projects, encompassing 2,552 residential units and 659,640 square feet of commercial space.
- Reviewed and approved the transmittal of the Attainable Housing Strategies (AHS) recommendations to the County Council for consideration. Co-hosted six countywide AHS community listening sessions with Montgomery Planning and the County Council.
- Reviewed and approved the Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science, the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment, the 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy Planning Board Draft, and the Incentive Zoning Update, which is focused on the county’s public benefits point system for development.
- Co-sponsored the three-part 2024 Speaker Series panel discussions with national and local experts and thought leaders about the latest trends, challenges, and successes in increasing housing options and affordability.
Montgomery Planning
- The Planning Board transmitted the department’s Attainable Housing Strategies recommendations for the County Council to consider.
- Organized and executed the Damascus Placemaking Festival.
- Shared with the community the emerging ideas for the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan and the preliminary recommendations for the University Boulevard Corridor Plan.
- Received Planning Board approval of the Working Draft of the Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment.
- Received four Planning Excellence awards from the American Planning Association’s National Capital Area and Maryland chapters for the Pedestrian Master Plan, the Mapping Segregation Project, Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science, and the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan. See full list of 2024 awards.
Montgomery Parks
- Community feedback from the Long Branch Parks Initiative led Parks to develop and implement a variety of recommendations, resulting in projects underway in the planning and design phases at all ten parks.
- Parks cut the ribbon on several high-profile construction and renovation projects such as Caroline Freeland Urban Park, Strathmore Local Park, The Gravity Bike Park at Wheaton Regional Park, Columbia Local Park, and the SEED Classroom at Black Hill Regional Park.
- Park programmers hosted more than 2,600 events county-wide and the department co-sponsored 29 partner events.