What is the Minor Master Plan and Why are We Doing It?

Source: Montgomery County Planning

Each community within Montgomery County has a master plan that creates a comprehensive view of land use trends and future development, like the 2000 Takoma Park Master Plan. These plans make recommendations related to land uses, zoning, transportation, schools, parks, and community and public facilities, and they address housing, historic preservation, pedestrian and trail systems, and environmental issues. Planners create new master plans every 15 or 20 years.

A Minor Master Plan amendment, like the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment (TPMMA), revisits a specific portion of the approved and adopted master plan and reexamines certain elements, often to address a change that was not anticipated at the time the adopted master plan was approved. A minor master plan amendment may offer new recommendations, or it may reconfirm the existing plan recommendations. In this instance, the TPMMA addresses the need for improved infrastructure, varied housing types, and additional public amenities such as parks and open space. The plan encourages reinvestment and reimagining of underutilized parcels and properties along Maple and Lee avenues, the Erie Center and the Washington  Adventist Hospital and University campuses, as well as surrounding areas.

The key recommendations in the plan are:

• Envisioning a vibrant, mixed-income community where the housing stock, open spaces, and mix of uses meet the needs of an economically, socially, and racially diverse population.
• Promoting safe, healthy, and convenient connectivity within and between the plan’s districts, and to high-capacity transit beyond the plan area, the existing trail network, and nearby activity centers.
• Embracing climate-forward planning and design to address the impact of climate change.
• Implementing a green promenade to provide a green, efficient, and attractive pedestrian connection through the plan area.
• Protecting historic resources and providing for the interpretation of community history to promote a unique sense of place.

Learn more on the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Page.