A New Method to the Planning Vision for Bethesda, Maryland

Bill Turque reports on the ongoing Bethesda Downtown Plan underway at the Montgomery County Planning Department. The goal for the new long-range land use plan for Downtown Bethesda: bring the reality of the county's public realm closer to the vision laid out by planners in a 1994 plan.

According to Torque, the current draft plan "places new emphasis on design and environmental sustainability and would require property owners to pay for parks and affordable housing to get permission to build bigger and taller — up to 29 stories along the neighborhood’s central artery."

"The hope is that the downtown Bethesda of 2035 will truly be greener, more walkable and architecturally striking," adds Turque.

Among the innovations proposed by the new plan: pooling the additional density allowed by the new plan, rather than allowing specific levels of density to each project. The plan also proposes a park impact fee, inclusionary zoning, environmental standards, and a design review process.

The Bethesda Downtown Plan is expected for its first hearing with the Montgomery County Council's Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee in January 2017.