Master Plan Review

Approved and Adopted 1985

GAITHERSBURG
VICINITY
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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 HIGHLIGHTS
The Gaithersburg Vicinity Master Plan was approved and adopted in 1985. The Plan manages and
directs the dynamic growth potential of the Gaithersburg Vicinity Planning Area. The Planning Areas
remaining supply of vacant and uncommitted land provides an important resource in meeting several
County wide objectives.
Specific Recommendations:
The Revenue Authority and State Aviation
Administration should prepare, with the
assistance of local government officials and
citizens a detailed Noise Abatement Plan.
Goshen Road should be improved between
Snouffer School Road and Odenhal Road.
Airpark Road Extended, a new road, should
be provided in the Upper Rock Creek area
parallel to Muncaster Mill Road between
MD 124 and the proposed Shady Grove Road Extended.
A convenience retail shopping center, at least ten acres in size, should be provided along MD 124 to
serve existing and future residential development.
Low-Intensity, light industrial development should be shown for the property north Snouffer School
Road and east of the Green Farm Conservation Park because of its proximity to the end of the
airport runway.
The areas located northeast of Riffle Ford Road and adjacent to Seneca Creek State Park should be
shown for an average density of one unit per two acres. Clustering residential units will be required
to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
The land use for the area located west of Longdraft Road near Marmary Road should be changed
from half-acre residential (R-200) to two-acre (RE-2) minimum lot size to better protect this
environmentally fragile area.
Bikeway routes should be provided in a comprehensive system within the Planning Area.
A transit easement should be extended from Shady Grove to Gaithersburg, Germantown, and
ultimately, Clarksburg to provide a right-of-way for a future extension of bus or transit service.
GAITHERSBURG VICINITY
Gaithersburg Airpark
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us or transit service.
The Gaithersburg Vicinity Planning Area currently has 18 zones: 11 Residential, 3 Commercial, 2
Industrial, and 2 Planned Development.

Existing Residential:
R-200: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-200/TDR: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-60: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-60/TDR: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-90: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-90/TDR: Detached Unit, Single-Family
R-MH: Mobile Home Development
RT-8: Townhouse, Single-Family
RT-10: Townhosue, Single-Family
RT-12.5: Townhouse, Single-Family
R-30: Multi-Family, Low Density


Existing Commercial
C-1: Convenience Commercial
C-4: Limited Commercial
C-T: Commercial, Transitional

Existing Industrial:
I-1: Light Industrial
I-4: Light Industrial

Existing Planned Development
PNZ: Planned Neighborhood Zone
T-S: Town Sector


Standard Implementation:
The existing R-200 and R-200/TDR will be combined into R-200. The existing R-60 and R-60/TDR will be
merged into R-60. The existing R-90 and R-90/TDR will become R-90. R-MH will be translated to R-60.
Residential TDR zones will be incorporated into a new TDR overlay.
The existing RT-8, RT-10 and RT-12.5 will remain RT (Townhouse) respectively. The R-30 will remain as
well.
C-1 will translate to CRT (Commercial Residential Town). The existing C-4 zone will translate to the
proposed zone CRT (Commercial Residential Town). Each parcel will be translated based on the
standardized translation, with the overall goal to retain currently allowed heights and densities and to
maintain context sensitivity. The existing C-T zone will translate to the proposed CRN (Commercial
Residential Neighborhood) zone.
The Existing I-1 will be renamed IM (Moderate Industrial), and I-4 will be renamed IL (Light Industrial).
The existing PNZ and T-S zones remain.


ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
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Gaithersburg Vicinity
Existing Proposed
Zone Acres Percent Zone Acres Percent
R-200 1,805.31 29.91
R-200 1,918.68 31.78
R-200/TDR 113.37 1.88
R-60 353.54 5.86
R-60 432.13 7.16 R-60/TDR 9.48 0.16
R-MH 69.12 1.14
R-90 579.65 9.60
R-90 630.07 10.44
R-90/TDR 50.42 0.84
RT-8 3.76 0.06 RT-8 3.76 0.06
RT-10 19.80 0.33 RT-10 19.80 0.33
RT-12.5 22.78 0.38 RT-12.5 22.78 0.38
R-30 40.14 0.66 R-30 40.14 0.66
C-1 2.99 0.05
CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.25 H-35 2.67 0.04
CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.25 H-45 0.32 0.01
C-4 4.05 0.07 CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.5 H-40 4.05 0.07
C-T 1.04 0.02 CRN-0.5 C-0.5 R-0.25 H-35 1.04 0.02
I-1 8.96 0.15 IM-2.5 H-50 8.96 0.15
I-4 448.91 7.44 IL-1.0 H-50 448.91 7.44
T-S 2,247.19 37.23 T-S 2,247.19 37.23
PNZ 253.85 4.21 PNZ 253.85 4.21
Grand Total 6,034.34 Grand Total 6,034.34






ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
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Gaithersburg Vicinity: Existing Zoning
Residental Low Density
Residential Medium Density
Townhouse
Multi-Family
Commercial
Light Industrial, Low Inten.
Light Industrial
Planned Development
Gaithersburg Vicinity: Proposed Zoning
Residental Low Density
Residential Medium Density
Townhouse
Multi-Family
Comm/Res - Neighborhood
Comm/Res - Town
Light Industrial
Moderate Industrial
Planned Development
ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
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R-200
R-200/TDR
R-60
R-60/TDR
R-90
R-90/TDR
R-MH
Townhouse
RT-8
RT-10
RT-12.5
Multi-Family
R-30
Commercial
C-1
C-4
C-T
Light Industrial
I -1
I -4
PNZ
T-S
Planned
Development
Existing Zones
Residential Low
Density
Residential
Medium Density

EXISTING ZONING MAP
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R-200
R-60
R-90
Townhouse
RT-8
RT-10
RT-12.5
Multi-Family
R-30
CRN
CRT
Light Industrial
I L
I M
PNZ
T-S
Proposed Zones
Residential Low
Density
Residential
Medium Density
Moderate
Industrial
Comm/Res-
Neighborhood
Comm/Res-
Town
Planned
Development

PROPOSED ZONING MAP
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PLANNING AREA CONTEXT
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