Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings on June 23, 2025

MARYLAND, June 21 - For Immediate Release: Friday, June 20, 2025

Committees will review the proposed abandonment of portions of Washington Grove Lane, two water and sewer category change requests and proposed Zoning Text Amendments to increase workforce housing and amend the setback requirements for filling stations by clarifying setback measurements

The Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee will meet on Monday, June 23, at 1:30 p.m. to review the abandonment of portions of Washington Grove Lane and two water and sewer category change requests. The TE Committee meeting will be conducted in the Davidson Memorial Hearing Room, which is located on the second floor of the Council Office Building. 

The members of the TE Committee include Chair Evan Glass, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe and Council President Kate Stewart.

The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-02, Workforce Housing - Development Standards, and ZTA 25-06, Vehicle Service - Filling Stations.

The members of the PHP Committee include Chair Andrew Friedson, Council Vice President Will Jawando and Councilmember Natali Fani-González.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Abandonment of portions of Washington Grove Lane

Review: The TE Committee will review and develop recommendations for the full Council on a petition for abandonment of two portions of Washington Grove Lane in Gaithersburg. The Housing Opportunities Commission and the Emory Grove United Methodist Church are jointly pursuing the abandonment in support of the proposed Heritage Emory Grove redevelopment, which includes affordable housing and community revitalization efforts to honor the area’s historic Black heritage.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) recommends that the Council approve the petition with conditions. The MCDOT conditions include that public utility easements be preserved or utilities be relocated at the applicant’s expense to meet requests made by Pepco and WSSC Water; that access and connectivity be maintained through future redevelopment; and that title issues for non-dedicated areas be resolved through the subdivision process.

Amendments to the Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan - Water and Sewer Category Change Requests: WSCCR 24-TRV-04A and WSCCR 25-TRV-02A

Review: The TE Committee will review two category change requests and amendments to the Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan. The requests relate to two properties located across the street from each other on Ridge Drive in the Glen Hills area. The applicant is seeking a sewer category change from S6 (private onsite systems) to S3 (public sewer service) to serve a proposed single-family home.  

The County Executive recommends approval of the first request, 24-TRV-04A, pending a sewer main extension through the public rights-of-way only. However, the County Executive recommends denial of the second request, 25-TRV-02A, because this property does not abut the planned sewer service envelope, nor does it abut any sewer mains that could provide service.

The Planning Board concurs with the County Executive’s recommendations on both requests.

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-02, Workforce Housing - Development Standards

Review: The PHP Committee will review ZTA 25-02, Workforce Housing - Development Standards, which would allow additional residential building types in the R-40, R-60, R-90, and R-200 zones along certain corridors with a minimum percentage of workforce housing units. This zoning measure is part of the More Housing N.O.W. package.

ZTA 25-02 would allow duplexes, triplexes, townhouses and apartment buildings in the R-40, R-60, R-90 and R-200 zones if the zone is also along a boulevard, downtown boulevard, downtown street, town center boulevard or controlled major highway. In addition, the front lot line must abut the applicable corridor and the corridor must be at least 100 feet wide and have three existing travel lanes. The maximum density is a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.25 and the maximum height is 40 feet and 15 percent of the units must meet the requirements for workforce housing. ZTA 25-02 will also establish development standards that intend to allow for flexible development while maintaining existing lot coverages.

The lead sponsors of ZTA 25-02 are Councilmembers Friedson and Fani-González. Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Council President Kate Stewart and Councilmembers Balcombe and Laurie-Anne Sayles are cosponsors of ZTA 25-02.

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-06, Vehicle Service - Filling Stations

Review: The PHP Committee will review ZTA 25-06, Vehicle Service - Filling Station. ZTA 25-06 would amend the setback requirements for a filling station by clarifying that measurements for filling stations that dispense at least 3.6 million gallons per year is from the fuel hose and amends the applicability of a nonconforming use to a filling station so that it's able to expand or enlarge if nonconformance is due to subsequent use.

The current Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance requires any filling station that dispenses at least 3.6 million gallons per year to be at least 500 feet from certain residential, civic and institutional, and recreation and entertainment uses, as well as certain environmentally sensitive areas. ZTA 25-06 would clarify that this measurement is from the fuel dispenser and amend the zoning ordinance so that if one of the above uses or areas is created within the 500 feet after approval of the filling station, the filling station will not become a nonconforming use.

The lead sponsors of ZTA 25-06 are Councilmembers Kristin Mink, Friedson and Council Vice President Jawando.

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The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.

Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.

Release ID: 25-217
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884