Board approves approach and boundary of master plan focused on downtown Wheaton
WHEATON, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), approved the Scope of Work and the boundary of The Wheaton Plan: A Georgia Avenue Community Plan at its May 7 meeting. The Scope of Work lays out the Montgomery County Planning Department’s approach to establishing a new long‑term vision and set of recommendations for downtown Wheaton.
Montgomery Planning is engaging community members, businesses, and other stakeholders to evaluate existing conditions, market trends, and recent investments to develop a vision and recommendations that align with Montgomery County priorities. The plan will address land use, zoning, urban design, housing, economic conditions, transportation, the environment, parks and open space, historic preservation, and community facilities, while integrating relevant countywide initiatives.
“The Wheaton Plan is an opportunity to build on Wheaton’s many strengths while directly addressing the challenges the community continues to face,” said East County Planning Division Chief Carrie Sanders. “Through this process, we will work closely with the community to create a realistic, implementable vision that supports small businesses, improves transportation safety and connectivity, expands housing options near transit, and leverages recent public investments to create a more vibrant Wheaton.”
Read the Scope of Work presented at the May 7 Planning Board meeting. The Planning Board amended the plan boundary at the meeting.
The Wheaton Plan: A Georgia Avenue Community Plan builds on the momentum of recent efforts, including the 2012 Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan2023 Wheaton Downtown Study, the 2023 Streetscape Standards, the 2023 Wheaton Downtown Study, and the 2025 Wheels in Wheaton event, and responds to community calls for improved walkability, transportation safety, and connectivity.
The community is encouraged to learn more about the plan by visiting the plan website and signing up for an e-letter and/or text messages. The plan has also launched the #WeAreWheaton community engagement campaign to hear how residents experience Wheaton day to day and what challenges they face and opportunities they see for the future. If you work, shop, or live in Wheaton, tell your story to become part of the dialogue.
The approved master plan boundary encompasses approximately 1,000 acres centered on downtown Wheaton and organized around the intersection of Georgia Avenue, University Boulevard West, and Veirs Mill Road, which form the core of the Wheaton Triangle. The boundary also includes residential neighborhoods along Georgia Avenue within one mile of the Wheaton Station and select properties along University Boulevard west of Veirs Mill Road.
Key properties within the plan boundary include Westfield Wheaton Mall, the Wheaton M‑NCPPC Headquarters, the Wheaton Recreation Center and Library, the Wheaton Metro Station and bus loop (Wheaton Station), Marian Fryer Town Plaza, eight nearby parks, and Oakland Terrace Elementary School.
Key elements of plan framework
Land Use, Zoning and Urban Design
Building on the Wheaton Downtown Study, the plan will focus transformative development on key large sites while supporting mid‑ and small‑scale mixed‑use infill development to strengthen the downtown core and support existing small businesses. Strategies will explore improved street connectivity near the Wheaton Station, changes to the station’s bus loop configuration, and opportunities for adaptive reuse of existing commercial buildings. The plan will also explore the development of a new zone or zones to allow for additional housing types along Wheaton corridors and near Metro as well as for limited commercial uses to provide neighborhood services.
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Housing
The Wheaton Plan will focus on increasing the supply of both market‑rate and affordable housing and will consider a housing‑production target of 3,200 to 3,700 new units by 2050 within the plan area. The plan aims to provide options for a wider range of housing types and sizes while also preserving existing market‑rate affordable housing. More than half of renters in Wheaton are cost burdened, and the plan will address affordability in tandem with reinvestment in aging buildings and improved connections between Wheaton’s neighborhoods and its core. In addition to guiding new housing near transit, the plan will evaluate opportunities to add housing on publicly owned properties such as Metro-adjacent sites and county-owned parking lots and garages, building on the redevelopment direction identified in prior plans.
Transportation
To create a more walkable downtown Wheaton and align infrastructure with long‑term sustainability goals, the plan will evaluate existing transportation networks. Its analysis will prioritize equity, transportation safety, and accessibility, supporting vulnerable populations with high‑quality mobility options and advancing Vision Zero principles to eliminate severe injuries and fatalities. It will also evaluate accessibility in Wheaton to strengthen neighborhood connections. The plan will also examine multimodal needs—including transit, walking, bicycling, street design, parking, public realm elements, and emerging mobility trends—while coordinating closely with planned Bus Rapid Transit projects on Veirs Mill Road, University Boulevard, and Georgia Avenue and improving connections to the Wheaton Station bus loop and Westfield Wheaton Mall.
Parks and Open Space
The plan will assess how well existing and proposed parks, trails, and open spaces support a culturally vibrant downtown Wheaton. The planning process will include reviewing past recommendations, evaluating current park conditions and service levels, and collaborating with the community to identify future needs for recreation, gathering spaces, and improved access. Ultimately, the plan aims to reimagine downtown Wheaton and adjacent communities as a welcoming hub for health, wellness, and cultural identity.
Environmental Resilience
The plan will advance strategies to cut greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate urban heat island effect, manage stormwater, and strengthen climate resilience through expanded tree canopy, nature‑based solutions, and innovative renewable energy integration. Recommendations will seek to integrate urban design and placemaking with the county’s environmental resilience goals to create a place that artfully incorporates green resilience features into the urban fabric, making Wheaton a cooler, greener and more inviting place to live, work and play that’s consistent with its Arts & Entertainment District designation.
Read the original article at montgomeryplanning