Master Plan Review

Approved and Adopted

December 2000
SILVER SPRING EAST
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Public Listening Session 9/2009
ONING CODE REWRITE
In 2007, the Montgomery County Council directed the Planning Department to undertake a
comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite. Last rewritten in 1977, the current 1,200
+
page code is
viewed as antiquated and hard to use with standards that have failed to keep pace with modern
development practices.
With only about four percent of land in the County available for greenfield development, the new
zoning code can play a crucial role in guiding redevelopment to areas like surface parking lots and
strip shopping centers. An updated zoning code is important for achieving the kind of growth
Montgomery County policymakers and residents want.
Initial sections of the new code were drafted by Code
Studio, a zoning consultant. These drafts were
subsequently analyzed and edited by planners based
on feedback from the Zoning Advisory Panel (a citizen
panel appointed by the Planning Board to weigh in on
the projects direction), county agency representatives,
residents and other stakeholders. In September 2012,
planning staff began the release of a draft code in
sections accompanied by a report highlighting changes
from the current code. The staff drafts were reviewed
at length by the Planning Board.
The Planning Board held worksessions and public hearings between September of 2012 and May of
2013. On May 2, they transmitted their draft to the County Council. The Council adopted the text of
the new code in March and adopted the new zoning map in July 2014.
The new code and map will go into effect on October 30, 2014.
ZONE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
An important aspect of the Zoning Rewrite process is the potential simplification of 123 existing
zones into about 30 proposed zones. While some of the proposed zones are a direct one-to-one
translation of existing zones, others are the result of combining existing zones with similar
standards. Additionally, existing zones that are not currently mapped or are no longer used in the
County have been eliminated from the proposed code. Through the implementation process,
Montgomery County aims to simplify the number of zones, eliminate redundancy, and clarify
development standards. A full translation table for all zones can be found in the documents section
of our website: www.zoningmontgomery.org.
BACKGROUND
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Agricultural, Residential, and Industrial Zone Implementation:
For agricultural and rural zones, the existing zones will be translated to proposed zones on a one-to-
one basis, with the exception of the Low Density Rural Cluster zone which is not currently used in
the County and will be eliminated.
Many of the existing residential zones will remain the same. Other residential zones will be
combined with existing zones that have similar development standards. The R-4Plex zone, which is
not currently mapped anywhere in the county, will be removed from the proposed code.
Implementation of Industrial zones will combine similar zones (Rural Service, I-1, and R+D) into the
proposed Industrial Moderate (IM) zone. The existing heavy industrial zone (I-2) will be renamed as
the Industrial Heavy (IH) zone.


Examples:
Agricultural
and Rural
Rural Density
Transfer (RDT)
Agricultural
Reserve (AR)
R-60
(detached residential)
R-60
(detached residential)
R-60/TDR
(detached residential)


Residential
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Commercial and Mixed-Use Zone Implementation:
Parcels located in the existing Commercial, Mixed-use, Central Business District (CBD), and Transit
Station zones will be translated into one of the proposed Commercial/Residential (CR) or
Employment (E) Zones using a two-tiered process.
First, decisions about specific parcels in these zones were based on recommendations within the
Master Plan. Planning staff reviewed each Master Plan in the County. When the Master Plan
provided specific recommendations about allowed density, height, or mix of uses for individual
commercial or mixed-use parcels, those recommendations were used to build the formula of the
proposed zone. This ensures consistency with currently allowed density and height, and helps
codify Master Plan recommendations in a parcel-specific manner.
Second, if the Master Plan did not make specific recommendations, the current zone changed to a
proposed zone on a one-to-one basis or the proposed zone was determined using a specific
standardized decision tree (see example below). The standardized decision tree translates existing
zones by considering each specific parcels proximity to single-family neighborhoods or other
factors. The goal of the implementation decision tree is to retain currently allowed heights and
densities and maintain context sensitivity.

Example: C-1 Convenience Commercial









Confronts or abuts
R-150 or less intense
or site is bigger than 5 acres
NR-0.75
H-45
then
Within a Historic
District
NR-0.75
H-45
then
Confronts or abuts
R-90, R-60, R-40, or R-MH
CRT-0.75
C-0.75 R-0.25 H-35
then
Confronts or abuts RT
or more intense
CRT-0.75
C-0.75 R-0.25 H-45
then
C-1

if
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PLAN VISION
The East Silver Spring Master Plan was approved and adopted in December 2000. Four themes
guide the recommendations of the East Silver Spring Master Plan: Preservation of community
character; revitalization of commercial centers; community facilities improvement and
environmental resource protection; and creation of a neighborhood-friendly circulation system.
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
The Master Plan recommends
preserving the existing residential
character of East Silver Spring by
providing a wider range of housing
types in the area, encouraging
maintenance of the housing stock,
protecting historic resources, and
limiting the concentration of special
exception commercial uses along the
highways between commercial centers. The Plan also recommends improving the neighborhoods
commercial centers by revitalizing University Boulevard and expanding commercial uses in the
Flower Village and Clifton Park Crossroads
commercial centers.
Protection of East Silver Springs
community facilities, environmental
resources, and parks are recommended
through a variety of measures. The Plan
advocates renovating existing facilities and
providing new facilities for recreational
programs, supporting an urban forestry
concept, and improving community access
to Northwest Branch and other stream
valley parks.
Lastly, the Master Plan seeks to ensure neighborhood-
friendly circulation and transportation opportunities. The Plan recommends supporting a system of
sidewalks, paths, and bikeways for pedestrian use, improving traffic circulation, and expanding
transit services.
SILVER SPRING EAST
Broad Acres Local Park
University Boulevard Streetscape Concept
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The East Silver Spring Planning Area currently has 11 zones: 2 Commercial and 9 Residential.
Existing Residential:
R-40: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-60: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-90: Detached Unit, Single-Family
RT-8: Townhouse, Single-Family
R-12.5: Townhouse, Single-Family
R-10: Multi-Family, High Density
R-H: Multi-Family, High-Rise
R-20: Multi-Family, Medium Density
R-30: Multi-Family, Low Density

Existing Commercial:
C-1: Convenience Commercial
O-M: Office Building, Moderate Intensity

The existing R-40 zone will remain R-40. The existing R-60 and R-90 will remain. The existing RT-8, and
RT-12.5 will remain. The R-H, R-10, R-20, and R-30 zones will remain.
The existing C-1 zone will translate to CRT (Commercial Residential Town) based on the standardized
translation. Each parcels proximity to residential neighborhoods was considered in the translation
decision, with the overall goal to retain currently allowed heights and densities and maintain context
sensitivity.
The existing O-M zone has typically consisted predominantly of office uses and will change to the
proposed EOF (Employment Office).











ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
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Silver Spring East
Existing Proposed
Zone Acres Percent Zone Acres Percent
R-40
42.07 2.71
R-40
42.07 2.71
R-60
1,199.03 77.29
R-60
1,199.03 77.29
R-90
33.21 2.14
R-90
33.21 2.14
RT-8
1.79 0.12
RT-8
1.79 0.12
RT-12.5
22.22 1.43
RT-12.5
22.22 1.43
R-10
104.89 6.76
R-10
104.89 6.76
R-20
79.21 5.11
R-20
79.21 5.11
R-30
51.70 3.33
R-30
51.70 3.33
R-H
9.40 0.61
R-H
9.40 0.61
C-1 7.66 0.49
CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.25 H-35
6.37 0.41
CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.25 H-45
1.30 0.08
O-M 0.14 0.01 EOF-1.5 H-60 0.14 0.01
Grand Total 1,551.32 Grand Total 1,551.32




ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
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Silver Spring East: Existing Zoning
Residential Medium Density
Townhouse
Multi-Family
Commercial
Silver Spring East: Proposed Zoning
Residential Medium Density
Townhouse
Multi-Family
Comm/Res - Town
Employment, Office
ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
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EXISTING ZONING MAP
R-40
R-60
R-90
Townhouse
RT-8
RT-12.5
Multi-Family
R-30
R-20
R-10
R-H
Commercial
C-1
O-M
Existing Zones
Residential
Medium Density
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PROPOSED ZONING MAP
R-40
R-60
R-90
Townhouse
RT-8
RT-12.5
Multi-Family
R-30
R-20
R-10
R-H
CRT
EOF
Comm/Res-
Town
Employment,
Office
Proposed Zones
Residential
Medium Density

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PLANNING AREA CONTEXT

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