Montgomery County Council members expressed preliminary approval Tuesday of a master plan for downtown Silver Spring and some small adjacent areas that focuses on topics such as development, transportation and parks, among others.
The council has held multiple work sessions on the Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan, which covers downtown Silver Spring and eastward, especially toward the northern part of downtown.
Council members agreed to remove references to Thrive Montgomery 2050 — the council’s proposed update to its general master plan — as the council has not voted on that yet.
The Silver Spring plan aims to help spur development in the area’s central business district and includes goals addressing climate change and improving local transportation networks. Some of those include:
- Encourage a minimum of 35% of green cover (Trees, green roofs, etc.) on select development areas in the plan
- Minimizing stormwater runoff through new development
- Incentivizing redevelopment and new development near transit, including the reuse of some parking garages
- Allowing for additional density on downtown lots in order to add more residential and commercial space
- Creating opportunities and funds for start-ups or other businesses to begin or expand operations
- Preserving affordable housing by designating certain areas as historic and/or offering tax incentives
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Steve Bohnel over at Bethesda Beat
