Montgomery County Council Committee Meeting on June 9, 2025
For Immediate Release: Friday, June 6, 2025
Planning, Housing and Parks Committee will review a ZTA to amend the Bethesda Overlay Zone and receive a briefing on homeownership assistance programs
The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet on Monday, June 9, at 1:30 p.m. to review Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-04, Overlay Zones – Bethesda (B) Overlay Zone, and receive a briefing on homeownership assistance programs.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-04, Overlay Zones – Bethesda (B) Overlay Zone
Review: The PHP Committee will review ZTA 25-04, Overlay Zones – Bethesda (B) Overlay Zone, which would amend the Bethesda Overlay Zone, implementing recommendations found in the Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment .
The ZTA, as requested by the Planning Board, includes changes to incentivize both family-size and deeply affordable Moderately-Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs) by providing benefits such as additional building height, reduced park impact payments and additional public benefit points. The ZTA also encourages a new recreation center by allowing additional building height, a reduction of required public open space and public benefit points. In addition, the changes lift the existing development cap for properties within the Bethesda Overlay Zone.
The ZTA also makes minor changes to public benefits associated with energy codes, removes conditions of approval requiring applications to file for a building permit within two years of site plan approval, expands the height incentive area, adjusts the rate and payment for the park impact payments, and clarifies that Bethesda Overlay Zone density is eligible once an application has maximized all its commercial or residential zoning.
Homeownership Assistance Programs
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Briefing: The PHP Committee will receive a briefing on homeownership assistance programs from representatives of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA), the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC), the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP), and the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC). Montgomery County provides first-time homebuyer assistance in the form of providing funds for down payment assistance and closing costs. There are three housing assistance programs currently in operation. These including the Montgomery Homeownership Program (MHP), which is administered by DHCD; the Montgomery County Homeownership Assistance Fund (McHAF), which is administered by HOC; and the Montgomery Employee Downpayment Assistance Loan (MEDPAL), administered by DHCD.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website .
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream .
Release ID: 25-197
Media Contact: Genevieve Kurtz 240-777-7805, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884
For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=47175