By Amy Waychoff
Faced with overwhelming opposition to the Attainable Housing proposal, on February 4, Council members Andrew Friedson and Natali Fani-Gonzalez introduced More Housing N.O.W. (New Options for Workers). Cosponsors include Council members Dawn Luedtke, Kate Stewart, Marilyn Balcombe, and Laurie-Anne Sayles. The proposal consists of a number of zoning text amendments, or ZTAs, as well as a related Subdivision Regulation Amendment (SRA) and expedited bill 2-25.
According to information shared at the February 24 Parkwood Residence Association Meeting, 2400 lots may be affected by N.O.W. The legislative process is expected to take two-three months. Therefore, the ZTAs could go into effect as early as this fall.
ZTA 25-02. Workforce Housing — Development Standards. This is the main element of the N.O.W. proposal that borrows from the original Attainable Housing proposal. It would allow duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and apartment buildings, but only along major roadways. Also, 15 percent of the units must meet the requirements for workforce housing, which is defined as 120 percent of the average median income (AMI). In addition, the housing would have to go through the planning process instead of being built “by right,” which was a major criticism of the Attainable Housing proposal.
ZTA 25-03. This ZTA would allow the conversion of commercial properties to residential buildings as long as the commercial building has at least a 50 percent vacancy rate.
SRA 25-01. This Subdivision Regulation Amendment expedites the process of creating new residential lots by reducing regulatory hurdles, particularly for commercial-to-residential conversions. A single large lot can be split into multiple smaller lots, making it possible for different individuals or developers to own and develop smaller parcels. Most projects, except for those providing workforce housing, would be allowed to move forward without extensive community input.
Expedited Bill 2-25. Taxation - Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT). For developers who use ZTA 25-03 to convert a commercial property to a residential property, they would be exempt from property taxes for 25 years. They would have to provide a certain percentage of affordable units.
There are a number of problems with these proposals, some of which are the same as last year’s Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative (AHSI):
- The Council staff provided an interactive map showing the areas affected, but the map has a disclaimer saying that “a small number of parcels may be inadvertently included or excluded from this map:” https://mcplanning.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=35c44dee1734457185b0604f3ce67e5e
- The Montgomery County Civic Federation believes that the county should have provided a 120-day written notice to every property owner who would be affected by the rezoning.
- The new housing could destroy naturally occurring affordable housing. Lower middle-class homeowners could be pushed out by gentrification.
- The proposals do not explain how the county is going to provide the infrastructure — roads, utilities, schools, and transportation — required by the new housing that will be created. The planners also do not seem sufficiently concerned about stormwater management and potential loss of tree canopy. Giving developers a 25-year moratorium on property taxes will exacerbate these issues.
- There is still no solid analysis of projected job market and housing needs. As County Executive Marc Elrich explained last fall, “our master plans have enough zoned capacity to house more people than are projected to come here through 2050” (Weekly Update Message, 4 October 2024).
- Investors may buy up houses and replace them with rental units while the inventory of single-family homes will likely be reduced.
- While 15 percent of the housing will be set aside for the “workforce,” there is no guarantee that these new developments will directly benefit teachers, first responders, or other essential workers, as federal housing laws prohibit setting aside units specifically for certain occupations.
Now is the time to voice your opinion on this issue, whether you live in the affected areas or not:
County Council hearings on the ZTAs
Tuesday, March 11, 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/calendar.html
Sign up to testify no later than 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 10.
We need a huge crowd in the audience, not just people willing to testify. Possible slogans to put on signs: “Jobs Before Houses;” “N.O.W.” in a circle with a diagonal line through it — the classic null sign.
Kemp Mill Elementary School
411 Sisson Street, Silver Spring
Community Meeting with Marc Elrich
March 12, 7:30 p.m.
(Kemp Mill area will be greatly affected by N.O.W.; Elrich opposes the plan)
You can also email the county councilmembers:
__________
Amy Waychoff is an Executive Committee Member of the Montgomery County Republican Party.