Master Plan Review

WOODMONT TRIANGLE
Approved and Adopted December 2004

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

WOODMONT TRIANGLE
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
The Woodmont Triangle Amendment to the Sector Plan for the Bethesda CBD was adopted in December 2004. The primary purpose of the amendment is to increase opportunities for housing to serve a variety of income levels and to improve the retail environment in the Woodmont Triangle area. The amendment provides general recommendations in several key areas. Housing: Encourage the retention of existing housing and the construction of new housing to serve a variety of income levels in the Woodmont Triangle Area. Transit-Oriented Development: Capitalize on the development and revitalization potential of the Area as a transit-oriented urban neighborhood. Most of Woodmont Triangle is within 2,500 feet of the Bethesda Metro station. Revitalization through Improvements to Public Streets and Spaces: Invest in public and private improvements to the streets of the Woodmont Triangle to enhance pedestrian safety and access to transit. Building Height Limits: The Amendment supports the step down of building heights from the Metro station area to the edges of the CBD. Opportunities for Residential Development: Take advantage of the Optional Method of Development tool to encourage housing and to provide public facilities and amenities. Public Amenities and Facilities: Improve Woodmont Triangles public spaces, including the rights-of-way. Improve lighting for public safety, promote attractive streets and sidewalks and use incentives to expand uses and hours of operation among the local businesses. The Norfolk Avenue Urban Spine, Battery Lane Urban Park, and NIH Gateway Park are each recommended to undergo improvements. Green Building Technology: Incorporate emerging green building methods and practices into new development and redevelopment.

Proposed Improvements to Battery Lane Urban Park

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

ZONE CONVERSION
The Woodmont Triangle Planning Area currently has 11 zones: 4 Residential, 1 Commercial, 4 Central Business District (CBD) and 2 Planned Development zones.

Existing Residential: R-60: Detached Unit, One Family RT-12.5: Townhouse, One Family R-10: Multiple-Family, High Density R-10/TDR: Mulple-Family, High Density Existing Commercial C-T: Commercial, Transitional

Existing CBD: CBD-1: Central Business District CBD-2: Central Business District CBD-R1: Central Business District, Residential CBD-R2: Central Business District, Residential Existing Planned Development PD-44: Planned Development PD-75: Planned Development

Standard Conversion: The existing R-60 and R-60 TDR will convert to the proposed RMD-6 zone. The existing RT-12.5 zone will convert to the proposed TMD (Townhouse Medium Density) zone. The existing R-10 and R-10/TDR zones will convert to the proposed RHD-1 (Multi-Family, High-Density) zone. The existing C-T zone will convert to the proposed CRN zone with an overall FAR of 0.5 and a height limit of 35 feet. The existing PD-44 and PD-75 zones will convert to proposed Planned Unit Development zones. The existing CBD zones will convert to the specific proposed CR zones using both the standard conversion criteria and specific Master Plan recommendations. CBD parcels that do not have specific master plan recommendations will convert to the proposed zone based on the standard zoning conversion table.

Master Plan Recommended Conversion: Several Woodmont Triangle parcels will convert to the proposed zones based on Woodmont Triangle Master Plan recommendations. We refer to these as non-standard conversions. These parcels and the Master Plan guided conversions are shown below.

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

MASTER PLAN-DRIVEN CONVERSIONS

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

MASTER PLAN-DRIVEN CONVERSIONS

Area Existing Zoning Proposed Zoning Number of Parcels Reason for NonStandard Conversion Modification Relevant Text

1 CBD-1 CR-3.0 C-1.0 R-2.5 H-110 1 Master plan height restriction. Height limited to 110 feet. See table on page 22 of Woodmont Triangle Amendment to the Bethesda CBD Sector Plan (2006). 2 CBD-1 CR-3.0 C-1.0 R-2.5 H-110 127 Master plan height restriction. Height limited to 110 feet. See table on page 22 of Woodmont Triangle Amendment to the Bethesda CBD Sector Plan (2006). 3 CBD-R2 CR-5.0 C-1.0 R-5.0 H-175 44 Master plan height restriction. Height limited to 175 feet. See table on page 22 of Woodmont Triangle Amendment to the Bethesda CBD Sector Plan (2006).

Area Existing Zoning Proposed Zoning Number of Parcels Reason for NonStandard Conversion Modification Relevant Text

Area Existing Zoning Proposed Zoning Number of Parcels Reason for NonStandard Conversion Modification Relevant Text

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

Area Existing Zoning Proposed Zoning Number of Parcels Reason for NonStandard Conversion Modification Relevant Text

4 CBD-R2 CR-5.0 C-1.0 R-5.0 H-110 6 Master plan height restriction. Height limited to 110 feet. See table on page 22 of Woodmont Triangle Amendment to the Bethesda CBD Sector Plan (2006). 5 CBD-1 CR-3.0 C-1.0 R-2.5 H-145 6 Master plan mix of uses recommendation. Commercial FAR reduced to 1.0, residential increased to 2.5. Woodmont Triangle Amendment (2006): Page 23
There is no residential development in this block. This is an appropriate location for housing.

Area Existing Zoning Proposed Zoning Number of Parcels Reason for NonStandard Conversion Modification Relevant Text

Area Existing Zoning Proposed Zoning Number of Parcels Reason for NonStandard Conversion Modification Relevant Text

6 CBD-2 CR-5.0 C-1.0 R-4.5 H-175 33 Master plan density/mid recommendation. Commercial FAR reduced, residential increase. Height capped at 175 feet. Woodmont Triangle Amendment (2006): Page 24
In order to encourage residential development, this Amendment recommends changing the CBD-1 parcels to CBD-2 The Amendment recommends a FAR of 5.0 for all properties in these blocks and a height limit of 143 feet or 174 with a 22 percent MPDU bonus.

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

MASTER PLAN-DRIVEN CONVERSIONS

Area Existing Zoning Proposed Zoning Number of Parcels Reason for NonStandard Conversion Modification Relevant Text

7 CBD-R1 CR-3.0 C-1.0 R-3.0 H-110 15 Master plan height restriction. Height limited to 110 feet. See table on page 22 of Woodmont Triangle Amendment to the Bethesda CBD Sector Plan (2006).

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

ZONE CONVERSION
Woodmont Triangle
Existing Zone
R-60 RT-12.5 R-10 R-10/TDR C-T CBD-1 CBD-2 CBD-R1 CBD-R2 PD-44 PD-75 Grand Total

Proposed Total Percent

3.14 2.29 31.76 0.33 18.10 0.90 6.43 1.33 1.48 1.05 9.34 4.36 80.52 3.90 2.85 39.44 0.41 22.48 1.12 7.98 1.66 1.84 1.31 11.60 5.41 3.90 RMD-6 2.85 TMD 35.41 4.03 0.41 CRN-0.5 C-0.5 R-0.25 H-35 23.61 CR-3.0 C-1.0 R-2.5 H-110 CR-3.0 C-1.0 R-2.5 H-145 RHD-1

Total Percent Zone

3.14 2.29 28.52 3.24 0.33 19.01 6.43 2.81 10.39 3.87 0.49 80.52

7.98 CR-5.0 C-1.0 R-4.5 H-175 3.50 12.91 4.81 0.61 Grand Total CR-3.0 C-1.0 R-3.0 H-110 CR-3.0 C-0.75 R-3.0 H-145 CR-5.0 C-1.0 R-5.0 H-110 CR-5.0 C-1.0 R-5.0 H-175 PUD

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 Medium Density
R-60

Townhouse
RT-12.5

Multi-Family
R-10 R-10/TDR

Commercial
C-T

Central Bus. Dist.

CBD-1 CBD-R1 CBD-2 CBD-R2

Planned Development
PD-44 PD-75

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

PROPOSED ZONING MAP

Proposed Zones
Residential Medium Density
RMD-6

Townhouse
TMD

Multi-Family
RHD-1

Comm/ResNeighborhood
CRN

Commercial/ Residential
CR

Planned Development
PD

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org