Montgomery Planning’s initial recommendations updating 2009 Sector Plan set a renewed vision for a more complete and connected Germantown community
Wheaton, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), presented the preliminary recommendations for the Germantown Sector Plan Amendment at the June 18 meeting of the Montgomery County Planning Board, also part of The M-NCPPC. The sector plan is a comprehensive update to the 2009 Germantown Employment Area Sector Plan and will guide future growth over the next 20 to 30 years by developing recommendations that reenvision Germantown’s land use, zoning, housing, transportation, urban design, environmental systems, public facilities, and economic development framework.
Read the full preliminary recommendations.
Read a 4-page explainer about the preliminary recommendations (English; Español).
Provide feedback on the recommendations.
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Preliminary recommendations are initial strategies that could be part of the sector plan. They are meant to give the public and other stakeholders a chance to see how the plan is developing after months of community conversations and engagement. Montgomery Planning staff will incorporate feedback from the Planning Board and community members to develop the sector plan’s first draft, called the Working Draft, expected this fall. The Planning Board will then hold a public hearing on the plan and accept written comments from the community. The sector plan’s boundary encompasses the Germantown Town Center and a mix of employment centers, shopping centers, and residential neighborhoods on both sides of I-270. The Montgomery College Germantown campus and the U.S. Department of Energy campus are the largest sites within the plan boundary, or plan area.
“The plan looks at how Germantown can grow in a more connected and practical way, with less separation of uses and more places where people can live, work, and take care of daily needs close to home,” said project lead Jamey Pratt. “It reflects both current market conditions and what we’ve heard from the community. We are looking forward to working with residents, community leaders, and other stakeholders to refine recommendations that make it safer to get around, expand recreation options, remove barriers to development, and support long-term growth in Germantown.”
Walkable, people-oriented spaces
- Create a network of neighborhood activity centers offering a mix of housing, retail, dining, gathering spots, and other amenities.
- Build connected street grids with smaller blocks and more route options to improve walkability and connectivity.
- Design buildings to frame streets and public spaces, with active ground floors and pedestrian-oriented layouts.
Flexible, mixed-use growth
- Allow more mixed-use development and housing by increasing density and zoning flexibility in activity centers and shifting away from office-only zones. View the recommended zoning in the plan area.
- Reduce regulatory barriers and development caps to attract reinvestment and support redevelopment of underutilized sites (e.g. large parking lots).
- Focus the highest building heights and densities in activity centers, while reducing heights and densities towards surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Housing
- Increase overall housing supply, especially near transit and activity centers, to support growth and local services.
- Allow for more housing types and sizes to meet diverse needs, including families, seniors, and multigenerational households.
- Preserve existing market-rate affordable housing and minimize displacement during redevelopment.
Transportation
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- Align roadway design with current conditions by reconfiguring lanes, reducing planned but unbuilt lanes, and lowering target speeds to improve safety and support a more balanced transportation system.
- Remove outdated planned interchanges along Frederick Road and Ridge Road to avoid high-speed road designs and infrastructure that would make it more difficult and dangerous to walk, bike, and connect to neighborhoods.
- Add new vehicular, pedestrian, and bikeway connections over I‑270 to better link east and west Germantown.
Environment
- Increase tree canopy and shade to reduce urban heat.
- Improve stormwater management and reduce runoff.
- Protect natural areas and biodiversity, including key ecological resources.
The plan also includes preliminary recommendations related to parks and historic preservation.
About the Germantown Sector Plan Amendment
The Germantown Sector Plan Amendment updates the 2009 Germantown Employment Area Sector Plan and modifies overlapping portions of the 2019 MARC Rail Communities Sector Plan to guide Germantown toward a more connected, adaptable, and sustainable future. It reassesses land use, zoning, housing, transportation, urban design, environmental systems, public facilities, and economic development to better reflect current conditions and community needs. While the 2009 Sector Plan focused on creating a vibrant, mixed-use employment center along I-270 with strong transit-oriented development, many of its assumptions, especially office growth tied to new transit, no longer align with today’s market realities. A Montgomery Planning-led 2024 study found shifting office demand, high vacancies, and zoning constraints that limited redevelopment flexibility.
In response, the Germantown Sector Plan Amendment introduces a more flexible, market-driven, and community-focused framework for future growth. It draws on updated data, public input, and coordination with stakeholders to better align policy with economic trends and development needs. The sector plan emphasizes walkable neighborhoods, safer travel infrastructure and design, expanded recreation, and improved access to daily destinations while supporting environmental resilience and a wider range of housing options that are affordable, accessible, and adaptable to different life stages and household types.
Those interested in receiving updates on news and events about Germantown planning are encouraged to sign up for Montgomery Planning’s Germantown e-letter.
Read the original article at montgomeryplanning