Takoma Park Minor Master Plan FAQs

Source: City of Takoma Park

To see a listing of all blog posts for the Minor Master Plan – visit the Minor Master webpage.

• If I live in an area that gets rezoned, will I be forced to change anything about my property?
  • No. The adoption of the Minor Master Plan Amendment will not force anyone to sell, give up, or change a property that they already own. There may be impacts on property value (likely increase), but how an owner chooses to keep, develop, or sell their property will remain up to them.

•  Have Washington Adventist Healthcare and Washington Adventist University been involved in the planning process to date?
  • Yes. The Montgomery Planning team and City staff have been in regular conversation with both Washington Adventist University and Washington Adventist Health through the duration of the process, including monthly coordination meetings. Both organizations are stakeholders in the process, but do not drive the planning process; all stakeholders are taken into account.

•  Will the green space at the corner of Maple Ave and Sligo Creek Pkwy, next to Essex House, be developed?
  • No. The green space being discussed is owned by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and is treated as a part of Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park. The Minor Master Plan Amendment treats the green space as a conserved area important for stormwater management. In particular, the space may be impacted by the recommendation to “address failing outfall infrastructure and unstable banks at Brashear’s Run where the stream daylights on parkland.” (p. 87) There are no recommendations for new building structures of any kind to be built on the parcel.

•  What will the influence of the MMPA’s recommendation of a Green Promenade be with the Maple Avenue Connectivity Project?
  • The Maple Avenue Connectivity Project is already in the design stage, ahead of the Minor Master Plan approval. However, the Minor Master Plan was developed with the awareness that the Maple Ave project is underway, and deliberately leaves room and flexibility for the development of the project, without points of conflict.

•  Will the County conduct a Climate Assessment, and when does that happen?
  
  • As required by Bill 3-22, approved by the County Council in July 2022, Montgomery Planning staff will prepare a Climate Assessment for the Planning Board draft of the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment that will be transmitted to the County Council hopefully later this year. The document will be publicly available at that time.

•  What kind of racial equity considerations or analysis is included in the planning process?
  • The County Racial Equity and Social Justice Act (Bill 27-19) requires the County Office of Legislative Oversight to prepare a Racial Equity and Social Justice Impact Statement for the County Council for bills and Zoning Text Amendments and for the Planning Board to consider racial equity and social justice impacts when preparing a Master Plan, which includes Minor Master Plan Amendments. As part of this “Equity Agenda for Planning”, Montgomery Planning closely considered equity in examining the history and existing conditions of the Plan area and surrounding communities, the community engagement strategy, the plan’s data analysis, and the development of recommendations.During staff work sessions following September 14, 2023, Public Hearing, the Planning Board will consider and discuss the racial equity and social justice impacts of the Minor Master Plan Amendment. Additional information on Montgomery Planning’s Equity in Agenda for Planning can be found online at https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/equity-agenda-for-planning/. Any new development that advances from this planning process would also be subject to the City’s racial equity initiative mandate to explore the racial justice impacts.

• The next step of this process is for the County Planning Board to set up work sessions; what is the purpose of these, how is a given topic selected and by whom?
  • Maryland law requires the Planning Department to conduct a “comprehensive review” of the numerous aspects related to land development (e.g., land use, environment, transportation, schools, and more) before zoning can be changed for a defined Plan Area. As also required by the law, the Planning Board holds a Public Hearing on the Public Hearing Draft Plan to receive public comment. Oral testimony provided at the Public Hearing and written testimony provided to the Planning Board within the designated timeframe collectively constitute the Public Record for the plan. The purpose of work sessions is for the Planning Board to discuss the comments received on the Public Record and determine if zoning, text, or other changes are needed to the Public Hearing Draft Plan.  After reviewing the Public Record, Montgomery Planning staff will schedule work sessions during the Planning Board’s regular meetings, with recommended topics to discuss at each.  The Planning Board ultimately determines the topics to be addressed at a work session.