Montgomery County Council

Legislative Branch

Press Releases - County Council

For Immediate Release: Monday, March 8, 2021

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 8, 2021—Last Thursday, March 4, Council President Tom Hucker and Councilmember Hans Riemer, chair of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, sent a letter to the Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board, Casey Anderson and the Director of the Montgomery County Planning Department, Gwen Wright. The letter urges the Planning Board to consider zoning reforms that would allow greater opportunities for Missing Middle Housing in Montgomery County.

Missing Middle Housing is a range of housing with multiple units that is compatible in scale and form with single-family homes located in walkable neighborhoods. The full text of the letter is below and attached. Additionally, Committee Chair Riemer’s draft Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) can be viewed here, along with the Feb. 16 letter to the Council here.

Dear Chair Anderson and Director Wright:

On behalf of the Council, we write to request that the Planning Board consider zoning reforms that would allow greater opportunities for Missing Middle housing in Montgomery County, provide opportunity for public input, and transmit to us a Zoning Text Amendment with your recommendations. This process was suggested by PHED Chair Riemer in the attached memo to colleagues and a majority of Councilmembers have agreed.

Councilmember Riemer attached a draft ZTA and fact sheet for your consideration, and we hope you will consider the concepts in ZTA 20-07, introduced by Councilmember Jawando.
If we can receive your recommendations shortly after we receive the Thrive 2050 plan, we could hear from the community and complete our work by the end of the year.
We look forward to engaging in this important discussion.

Regards,