White Flint Sector Plan

Midtown on the Pike

Approved and Adopted April 2010

The Montgomery County Council on March 23, 2010 unanimously approved the White Flint Sector Plan. Download the approved and adopted plan. (pdf, 10 MB) Note: The plan file was downsized for faster downloads. For a higher-resolution version, request the approved and adopted plan on CD-ROM.

In February, planners, county officials and the White Flint Partnership accepted a 2012 Maryland Sustainable Growth Award-Smart Growth Communities for White Flint implementation strategies. The recognition came because the Sector Plan implementation addresses several smart growth principles defined by the state Sustainable Growth Commission, from quality of life and sustainability to public participation.

In October 2010, the plan won the "Neighborhood/Small Area Plan award" from the National Capital Area chapter of the American Planning Association.

The White Flint Sector Plan aims to:

• Create thriving, diverse mixed use center with highest intensity closest to Metro and along Rockville Pike
• Create new parks and open spaces
• Transform Rockville Pike into a boulevard with street trees and improved crosswalks
• Develop a transportation network that includes a grid of new public streets
• Improve the pedestrian and bicycling environment
• Promote sustainable development

This Sector Plan updates the 1992 North Bethesda Garrett Park Master Plan. Several stakeholders including property owners, residents, a steering and an advisory committee, contributed to creating the Plan.

• View the plan appendix
• View staff presentations and interim reports
• Keep track of the progress of the Sector Plan Implementation Advisory Committee

News and Events

• New! View the Biennial Master Plan Monitoring Report (July 2015)

White Flint in the news

• Pike & Rose was awarded this year’s Award of Excellence for a Planning Project from the American Planning Association (APA), County Planning Division, and its sister organization, the National Association of County Planning (NACP).https://www.planning.org/divisions/countyplanning/awards/
• The White Flint Implementation and Collaboration program has been selected for a 2013 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award. The Award recognizes innovative county government programs and provides examples of "best practices" from counties across the nation.
• Listen to the December 2011 National Public Radio piece, "Maryland County Rethinks the Shopping Mall," featuring an interview with former Planning Director Rollin Stanley
• Read the October 2011 Planning Magazine story, The Upsizing of White Flint(858 kb)

White Flint development activity

Track development in White Flint using our staging monitor, which follows each stage of development plans submitted in the sector plan area.

Approvals

All Commercial Residential (CR) zoned properties in White Flint require a sketch plan as the initial application. A sketch plan illustrates the general massing of new buildings; anticipated uses, open spaces, pedestrian and vehicular circulation systems; and relationships between buildings to existing and proposed uses.

Sketch plan approval is required before applicants can submit preliminary and site plans.

Staging Allocations

Prior to the submission of a building permit, each development must receive a Staging Allocation Request (SAR) from the Planning Board. The SAR draws down on the residential and non-residential development recommended in the Sector Plan.

The Planning Board on April 16, 2015, approved staging allocation for 160,705 square feet of non-residential development for Pike and Rose-Phase II-Buildings 1A, 3A, 4 and 8-as approved in Site Plan No. 820130120.

On July 24, 2014, the Planning Board approved allocation of 368 residential units and no non-residential development for Buildings 6 and 7, as approved in Site Plan No. 820130120.

The Planning Board, on January 17, 2014, granted Staging Allocation No. 25800 approval to Pike and Rose for 1,000 square feet of non-residential development.

In March 2012, the Board approved Staging Allocation Request No. 25400 for Pike and Rose (Mid-Pike Plaza), allocating 493 residential dwelling units and 262,800 square feet of non-residential development.

White Flint Biennial Monitoring Report

The Montgomery County Planning Board has transmitted the first Biennial Master Plan Monitoring Report to the County Council and County Executive. Required by the White Flint Sector Plan, the monitoring report includes an assessment of development approvals, public facilities and amenities, Subdivision Staging and the Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Read report

White Flint tax district

The County Council approved the establishment of a Special Taxing District for the White Flint Sector Plan area. The tax district is authorized to levy an ad valorem property tax to fund some transportation infrastructure improvements. Download the approved legislation (Bill 50-10 (pdf)) and Implementation Strategy and Infrastructure Improvement (Resolution 16-1570 (pdf)).

To jump start development, the County Council has approved a Planning Board-recommended financing plan that would set up a special tax district for property owners. Diane Schwartz Jones, assistant chief administrative officer with the County Executive's office, and Jacob Sesker, economic planner with the Planning Department, explain in this clip from Montgomery Plans.

White Flint Urban Design Guidelines

White Flint Design Guidelines make specific recommendations for streets, open spaces and buildings within the White Flint Sector Plan. The guidelines promote an attractive and successful public realm defined by streets, open spaces, and attractive buildings.
View guidelines (5.7MB)

Commercial Residential Zone

Most of the White Flint Sector Plan area is in the CR zone. The zone requires the establishment of CR guidelines that detail the standards and requirements for public benefits. View the Incentive Density Guidelines.

Implementation

View the agenda for the September 12 Implementation Committee meeting.

Download the Planning Board-approved guidelines (5.3 MB) for coordinating, staging and monitoring the implementation of the recommendations in the White Flint Sector Plan.

The county's Department of General Services is developing an implementation strategy for some amenities -- such as a recreation center and meeting space -- in White Flint. Two public charettes held in June 2011 provided input on proposed public facilities.

Sector Plan Implementation Advisory Committee

Property owners and residents from within the plan area, civic and homeowners associations from surrounding residential communities, transportation management representative, and Executive Branch staff were originally appointed to this overview committee by the Planning Board on September 30, 2010. The Planning Board reappointed the Committee in 2012. The Committee will:

• Review assumptions made regarding traffic, including transit use and parking
• Monitor plan recommendations
• Identify new projects for the amenity fund
• Monitor the county Capital Improvement Program and Growth Policy
• Recommend action by the Planning Board and County Council

Members

Implementation Advisory Committee meeting schedule

Upcoming

(Please note the meeting location is at Wall Local Park/Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center, Old Georgetown Rd & Nicholson Ln, North Bethesda)

• September: Next meeting is on Monday, September 12
• August: The Committee typically does not meet in August

Previous

• June 13 (cancelled)
• May 9 (cancelled)
• April 11, 2016 (agenda)
• March 14, 2016 (cancelled)
• February 8, 2016
• January 11, 2016, Montgomery County Planning Department, (agenda, MCDOT presentation)
• November 9, 2015 (click here for the agenda)
• September 21, 2015 (click here for the agenda)
• August 10, 2015 (cancelled)
• July 13, 2015 (cancelled)
• June 8, 2015 (cancelled)
• May 11, 2015
• April 13, 2015
• February 9, 2015
• January 12, 2015
• November 10, 2014 (cancelled)
• October 14, 2014
• August 11, 2014- MDDOT Bikeways Update
• July 14, 2014- NOBE II; Gables White Flint; Meeting Notes
• June 9, 2014 - East Village NBG Presentation; Meeting Notes
• May 12, 2014- meeting notes
• April 14, 2014 (cancelled)
• March 10, 2014 (cancelled)
• February 10, 2014
• January 13, 2014
• September 9, 2013
• July 8, 2013- BF Saul Sketch Plan Presentation
• June 10, 2013- Tilden Place report
• April 8, 2013- Gables Residential Sketch Plan presentation (5.2 MB)
• March 11, 2013- State Highway Administration presentation(1.5 MB)
• January 14, 2013- East Village at North Bethesda Gateway presentation (5.5 MB)
• December 10, 2012- Pike and Rose Phase II presentation(5 MB).
• November 19, 2012
  Committee members heard a presentation on the sketch plan for the Montouri property at Nebel Street and Old Georgetown Road.
  View the Archstone Sketch Plan presentation (12 MB) for the Montouri property
• September 10, 2012
  View meeting notes (147KB)
• May 14, 2012
  Representatives from Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) discussed State roadways and related issues.
• February 13, 2012
  Rita Gale with the Department of Public Libraries, Facilities and Strategic Planning division will present
  View meeting notes (pdf, 146KB)
• December 12, 2011
  Representatives from the county Departments of General Services and Transportation discussed the recently released White Flint Public Amenities Report and provided an update on road projects in the plan area.
  View meeting notes (pdf, 148KB)
• November 14, 2011
  View meeting notes (pdf, 129KB)
  View the presentation (pdf, 4.8MB) about White Flint Mall redevelopment
• October 11, 2011
  View meeting notes (pdf, 116KB)
• Monday, July 11, 2011
  View NoBe II presentation
• June 13, 2011
  View meeting notes; view presentation(pdf, 5.3 MB) on the first phase site plan for Mid-Pike Plaza
• April 11, 2011
• March 14, 2011
  View meeting notes
• February 14, 2011
• January 10, 2011
• December 13, 2010
  View meeting notes (pdf, 141 KB) | View transportation approvals/monitoring backgrounder (1.5mb)
• November 22, 2010
  View meeting notes (pdf, 69 KB)

View the makeup and activity of previous sector plan advisory committees.

Developer collaborative

The development collaborative is a group of commercial property owners in White Flint: Federal Realty Investment Trust, The JBG Companies; Holladay Corporation; White Flint Mall (Lerner Enterprises/The Tower Companies) and the Combined Properties. Read the collaboratives economic analysis report.

Resources

• Draft Commercial Residential District and staff report (pdf, 42.2 MB)
• White Flint Sector Plan Transportation Appendix (pdf, 4.21 MB)
• Examples of Existing Buildings in the White Flint Area (pdf, 1.38 MB)
• Proposed TMX Zoning Text Amendment (pdf, 56KB)
• Transferable Development Rights (TDR) Program
• GIS Data for White Flint
• Estimated Land Use and Trip Generation for Selected Alternative Scenarios Evaluated (pdf, 72 5KB) (Transportation data)

White Flint Master Plan on "Montgomery Plans"

In August 2007, the White Flint Master Plan was featured on "Montgomery Plans" the Planning Board's show airing on County Cable Montgomery.

Staff contact

N'kosi Yearwood
301-495-1332,
Nkosi.Yearwood@montgomeryplanning.org

Last updated: October 20, 2016