Concepts
Shift Emphasis from Greenfields to Infill
Re-Think the Planning and Zoning Framework
Match Regulations to Impacts
Improve the Quality of Development
Incentivize Public Benefits
Simplify and Streamline Standards and Process
Match Land Use and Development Patterns
Provide Easy Access and Use of the Code
Modernize and Consolidate
Shift Emphasis from Greenfields to Infill
Approximately 47% of the county is dedicated to agricultural and park purposes and another 49% is already developed. This means that only about 4% of county land is available for new development. Future redevelopment will require creative reuse of underutilized areas, such as the approximately 8,000 acres of surface parking lots and strip shopping centers that currently exist in the county. The new zoning code must do a better job at accommodating infill and redevelopment while reducing the impact on established residential areas.
Re-Think the Planning and Zoning Framework
The zoning code is the primary tool the county has for implementing master plans. As such, the zoning code must contain the full spectrum of regulatory tools needed to guide development in a way consistent with the adopted master plans and design guidelines. The county has developed an unfortunate habit of creating complex, one-of-a-kind zones, which vary little from existing zones and often are never used again. The new zoning code should establish a set of versatile zones, be predictable enough to provide citizens a sense of what might be developed around them, and remain flexible enough to be implemented in different contexts and meet fluctuating development trends.
Match Regulations to Impacts
A major effort will be made in the new zoning code to consolidate similar zones and to eliminate obsolete or rarely used zones. The development review process is consistently viewed as an intense process for almost any project of significance. A new single track system would substantially shorten the required development review period, while retaining significant public participation. This will result in a better process for all involved. The code should combine all allowed uses into one comprehensive use table. Similar uses, for example gift shops and florists, should be combined into a broader category like retail sales and service. This will help organize uses more logically and reduce the need to include each specific use. Outdated terminology, such as millinery shops and hat repair services, will no longer be necessary.
The most effective way to ensure that the character, intensity and form of infill and redevelopment fits within the existing or proposed context of an area is to incorporate compatibility provisions into the new zoning code. Zones will ensure compatibility through regulation of building types, dimensional standards, parking provisions, open space provisions, context standards, and landscaping requirements. This allows for more fine-grained control over the subtle differences between the county’s rural fringe, suburban neighborhoods and urban centers.
Improve the Quality of Development
A gap exists between the county’s recent efforts to promote quality development and the current zoning regulations. The county deserves a high-quality built environment and there are a number of improvements that can be made to the current zoning framework to help realize it. The new zoning code should: retain a base level of development and create a more effective way to incorporate connectivity, diversity, environmental and design goals through alternative methods; offer a range of building types will allow the county to subtly control how new development addresses the public realm; and update the county’s standards in the streetscape, site lighting, outdoor storage and display, landscaping, and use of signs in order to enhance the overall quality of development.
Incentivize Public Benefits
As an alternative to current optional methods, pre-approved building forms and development patterns could offer additional intensity in exchange for increased public benefits, which may vary based on the character of surrounding development. For example, a developer in a more urban place could use a pre-approved building form that has buildings placed closer to the street, large storefront windows, wider sidewalks, and parking behind buildings. In a more rural place, a developer could use a pre-approved development pattern that helps to preserve additional open space and tree cover. This should lead to swifter approvals, increased predictability in outcome and quality, and achievement of master plan goals.Simplify and Streamline Standards and Process
Simplifying the zoning code is a major theme of the zoning rewrite project. Much of the confusion with the current zoning code is due to how information is presented. The new zoning code will take a plain language approach to drafting through the use of clear and succinct text and graphics. Additionally, regulatory footnotes will be incorporated into the body of the document.Match Land Use and Development Patterns
Traditional zoning is fundamentally about keeping things apart, but in order to create healthy neighborhoods, towns and cities, zoning must work to integrate different aspects of daily life. Mixed use comes in many forms, from a corner store in an existing neighborhood to an urban high-rise residential building with street level retail. The new zoning code should place primary emphasis not on use, but on the physical form of the built environment (e.g. building mass, building placement on lots, the form and creation of streets and other public spaces, building heights, transparency of windows and doors, and location of entrances). The end goal is to produce a particular or specific type of place—whether it is big city or small town, a main street or a neighborhood.Provide Easy Access and Use of the Code
The zoning ordinance and all of its related materials should be easily accessible and available online. The digital version should display graphics and tables in a clear and simple format and reflect amendments upon adoption. At minimum, a PDF copy of the new zoning code, broken down by Article, should be made available on the planning department’s website.Modernize and Consolidate
The structure of the current zoning code is difficult to understand because major topics such as land uses are scattered throughout. The new zoning code should consolidate the major themes of the document so it is easier to navigate.
Montgomery County Planning Department