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Master Plan Review: Kensington - Wheaton

The document summarizes the zoning code rewrite process for Montgomery County, Maryland. It discusses rewriting the county's antiquated 1,200+ page zoning code to simplify it, eliminate redundancy, and better guide development. As part of this process, 123 existing zones will be converted into 30 proposed zones. For the Kensington-Wheaton area, 19 existing residential and commercial zones will be converted into 12 proposed zones, such as converting the R-60, R-60/TDR and R-40 zones into the proposed RMD-6 zone. The goal is to retain currently allowed densities and heights while improving context sensitivity.

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49 views

Master Plan Review: Kensington - Wheaton

The document summarizes the zoning code rewrite process for Montgomery County, Maryland. It discusses rewriting the county's antiquated 1,200+ page zoning code to simplify it, eliminate redundancy, and better guide development. As part of this process, 123 existing zones will be converted into 30 proposed zones. For the Kensington-Wheaton area, 19 existing residential and commercial zones will be converted into 12 proposed zones, such as converting the R-60, R-60/TDR and R-40 zones into the proposed RMD-6 zone. The goal is to retain currently allowed densities and heights while improving context sensitivity.

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Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Master Plan Review

KENSINGTON -WHEATON
Approved and Adopted May 1989

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

BACKGROUND
ZONING 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. The Montgomery County Planning Department is working in coordination with Code Studio, a team of nationally recognized consultants; a citizen panel, known as the Zoning Advisory Panel (ZAP); and other County agencies to improve the zoning code. The ZAP was appointed by the Planning Board to weigh in on the projects direction and advise staff.

Public Listening Session 9/2009

Initial sections of the new code are drafted by Code Studio, and are subsequently analyzed and edited by planners based on feedback from ZAP, county agency representatives, residents and other stakeholders. The Zoning Code Rewrite drafts continue to undergo multiple reviews and revisions in preparation for the distribution of a public draft of the new code expected in summer 2012. The comprehensive public draft will then be presented to the Planning Board and, ultimately, the County Council as part of a public review process.

ZONE CONVERSION PROCESS


An important aspect of the Zoning Rewrite process is the potential conversion of 123 existing zones into 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 conversion process, Montgomery County aims to simplify the number of zones, eliminate redundancy, and clarify development standards. A full conversion chart for all zones can be found in the documents section of our website: www.zoningmontgomery.org.

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

Agricultural, Residential, and Industrial Zone Conversion:


For agricultural and rural zones, the existing zones will be converted to proposed zones on a one-toone basis, with the exception of the Low Density Rural Cluster zone which is not currently used in the County and will be eliminated. Several of the existing residential zones will also directly convert on a one-to-one basis. Other residential zones will be converted by combining 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. Conversion of Industrial zones will combine similar zones (Rural Service, I-1, and I-4) into the proposed Industrial Light (IL) zone. The existing heavy industrial zone (I-2) will convert directly to the proposed Industrial Heavy (IH) zone.

EXAMPLES:
Agricultural And Rural
Rural Density Transfer (RDT) Agricultural Conservation (AC)

Residential, Detached Unit (R-60) Residential, Detached Unit (R-40) Residential, Mobile Home Development (RMH)

Residential

Residential Detached, Medium Density (RMD-6)

Rural Service (RS)

Industrial

Light Industrial I-4 (I-1)

Industrial Light (IL)

Light Industrial (I-4)

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

Commercial and Mixed-Use Zone Conversion:


Parcels located in the existing Commercial, Mixed-use, Central Business District (CBD), and Transit Station zones will be converted into one of the proposed Commercial/Residential (C/R) or Employment (E) Zones using a two-tiered process. First, decisions for conversions of a specific parcel 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 conversion 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 converted 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 converts existing zones by considering each specific parcels proximity to auto-centric localities, village and town centers, and detached residential neighborhoods. The goal of the conversion decision tree is to retain currently allowed heights and densities and maintain context sensitivity.

EXAMPLE: C-1 Convenience Commercial


Then

Conversion Decision Criteria for C-1, Convenience Commercial Current Max FAR: None (90% Coverage) Current Max Height: 30 average at finished grade along the building up to 45

Then

If the C-1 Parcel Is:

Then

Then

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

KENSINGTON-WHEATON
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
The Master Plan for the communities of Kensington-Wheaton was approved and adopted in May 1989. The Kensington-Wheaton Master Plan emphasizes the importance of protecting the residential community from the non-residential activities of the Wheaton Central Business District. To ensure community preservation, the Plan recommends maintaining the low- to medium-density residential character of the area, protecting residential neighborhoods along major highways with a landscaping approach called green corridors, and encouraging the revitalization of the commercial area at Randolph and Veirs Mill Road through public and private means. The Kensington-Wheaton Master Plan is also focused on diversifying transportation modes available in the region. To support its transportation objective the Plan recommends creation of a multi-use trail system that can be used for both recreation and commuting purposes. The Plan also proposes sites additional need for park-and-ride lots to support Metrorail use in the area. The Master Plan makes additional recommendations for its community facilities and services. The Plan recommends examining ways to address the needs of the communitys elderly, disabled, and other special populations. The Plan proposes that the area from Wheaton Plaza to University Towers become a demonstration area for improvements that will serve the disabled.

Kensington Farmers Market

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

ZONE CONVERSION
The Kensington-Wheaton Planning Area currently has 19 zones: 5 Commercial and 14 Residential.

Existing Residential: RE-2: Detached Unit, Single Family R-200: Detached Unit, Single Family R-150: Detached Unit, Single Family R-90: Detached Unit, Single Family R-60: Detached Unit, Single Family R-60/TDR: Detached Unit, Single Family R-40: Detached Unit, Single Family RT-8: Townhouse, Single Family RT-10: Townhosue, Single Family RT-12.5: Townhouse, Single Family

RT:15: Townhouse, Single Family R-30: Multi-Family, Low Density R-20: Multi-Family, Medium Density R-10: Multi-Family, High Density Existing Commercial: C-1: Convenience Commercial C-2: General Commercial C-4: Limited Commercial C-T: Commercial, Transitional O-M: Office Building, Moderate Intensity

The RE-2 will convert directly to the proposed RE-2 zone. The R-200 and R-150 will combine to form the RLD-20 (Residential Low Density) zone. . The existing R-60, R-60/TDR, and R-40 will combine to form the proposed RMD-6 (Single-Family, Medium-Density) zone. The existing R-90 will convert to the propsed RMD-9 (Single-Family, Medium-Density). The existing RT-8 will convert to the proposed TLD (Townhouse, Low-Density) zone. ). The RT-10 and RT-12.5, both residential townhouse zones, have similar standards and will be combined to form the proposed TMD (Townhouse, Medium-Density) zone. The existing RT-15 will convert to the proposed THD (Townhouse, High-Density) zone. The R-30 will convert to the proposed RHD-3 (Multi-Family, Low Density) zone, the R-20 will convert to the proposed RHD-2 (Multi-Family, Medium-Density) zone, and R-10 will convert to the proposed RHD-1 (Multi-Family, High-Density) zone. The existing O-M zone has typically consisted predominantly of office uses and will convert to the proposed Employment Office Zone (EOF) with a 1.5 FAR and 75 ft. maximum height limit. The existing C-T zone will convert to the proposed CRN zone with an FAR of 0.5 and a height limit of 35 ft. The existing C-1, C-2, and C-4 zones converted to the proposed zone (CRN) based on the location and context for each of the parcels located in these three zones. Each parcels proximity to auto-centric localities, village and town centers, and detached residential neighborhoods was considered in the conversion decision, with the overall goal to retain currently allowed heights and densities and maintain context sensitivity.

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

ZONE CONVERSION
Kensington-Wheaton
Zone
RE-2 R-200 R-150 R-90 R-40 R-60 R-60/TDR RT-8 RT-10 RT-12.5 RT-15 R-30 R-20 R-10 C-1 C-2 C-4 C-T O-M

Existing Total
4.59 639.49 71.48 1959.02 77.41 3327.98 6.71 7.94 14.14 35.16 28.47 11.71 31.75 3.45 21.41 2.78 1.55 3.68 2.12

Proposed Percent Zone


0.07 10.23 1.14 31.34 1.24 53.24 0.11 0.13 0.23 0.56 0.46 0.19 0.51 0.06 0.34 0.04 0.02 0.06 0.03 RE-2 RLD-20 RMD-9 RMD-6 TLD TMD THD RHD-3 RHD-2 RHD-1 CRT-1.0 C-0.75 R-0.75 H-45 CRT-2.0 C-1.5 R-1.5 H-65 CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.5 H-40 CRN-0.5 C-0.5 R-0.25 H-35 EOF-1.5 H-75

Total
4.59 710.98 1959.02 3412.11 7.94 49.30 28.47 11.71 31.75 3.45 21.41 2.78 1.55 3.68 2.12

Percent
0.07 11.37 31.34 54.59 0.13 0.79 0.46 0.19 0.51 0.06 0.34 0.04 0.02 0.06 0.03

Grand Total

6250.84

Grand Total

6250.84

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

ZONE CONVERSION

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

PLANNING AREA CONTEXT

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

EXISTING ZONING MAP


Existing Zones
Residential Estate
RE-2

Residential Low Density


R-150 R-200

Residential Medium Density


R-40 R-60 R-60/TDR R-90

Townhouse
RT-8 RT-10 RT-12.5 RT-15

Multi-Family
R-10 R-20 R-30

Commercial
C-1 C-2 C-4 C-T O-M

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

PROPOSED ZONING MAP


Proposed Zones
Residential Estate
RE-2

Residential Low Density


RLD-20

Residential Medium Density


RMD-6 RMD-9

Townhouse
TLD TMD THD

Multi-Family
RHD-1 RHD-2 RHD-3

Comm/ResNeighborhood
CRN

Comm/ResTown
CRT

Employment, Office
EOF

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

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