Master Plan Review: Forest Glen

Master Plan Review
FOREST GLEN
Approved and Adopted
July 1996
Forest Glen
Page 1 of 10
Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA
BACKGROUND
ONING 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.
Initial sections of the new code were drafted by Code
Studio, a zoning consultant. These drafts were
subsequently analyzed and edited by planners based
on feedback from the Zoning Advisory Panel (a citizen
panel appointed by the Planning Board to weigh in on
the projects direction), county agency representatives,
residents and other stakeholders. In September 2012,
planning staff began the release of a draft code in
sections accompanied by a report highlighting changes
from the current code. The staff drafts were reviewed
at length by the Planning Board.
Public Listening Session 9/2009
The Planning Board held worksessions and public hearings between September of 2012 and May of
2013. On May 2, they transmitted their draft to the County Council. The Council adopted the text of
the new code in March and adopted the new zoning map in July 2014.
The new code and map will go into effect on October 30, 2014.
ZONE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

An important aspect of the Zoning Rewrite process is the potential simplification of 123 existing
zones into about 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 implementation process,
Montgomery County aims to simplify the number of zones, eliminate redundancy, and clarify
development standards. A full translation table for all zones can be found in the documents section
of our website: www.zoningmontgomery.org.
Forest Glen
Page 2 of 10
Agricultural, Residential, and Industrial Zone Implementation:

For agricultural and rural zones, the existing zones will be translated 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.
Many of the existing residential zones will remain the same. Other residential zones will be
combined with 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.
Implementation of Industrial zones will combine similar zones (Rural Service, I-1, and R+D) into the
proposed Industrial Moderate (IM) zone. The existing heavy industrial zone (I-2) will be renamed as
the Industrial Heavy (IH) zone.
Examples:
Agricultural
and Rural
Rural Density
Transfer (RDT)
Agricultural
Reserve (AR)
R-60
(detached residential)
Residential
R-60
R-60/TDR
Forest Glen
Page 3 of 10
Commercial and Mixed-Use Zone Implementation:

Parcels located in the existing Commercial, Mixed-use, Central Business District (CBD), and Transit
Station zones will be translated into one of the proposed Commercial/Residential (CR) or
Employment (E) Zones using a two-tiered process.
First, decisions about specific parcels 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 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 changed 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 translates existing
zones by considering each specific parcels proximity to single-family neighborhoods or other
factors. The goal of the implementation decision tree is to retain currently allowed heights and
densities and maintain context sensitivity.
Example: C-1 Convenience Commercial
Confronts or abuts
R-150 or less intense
then
NR-0.75
H-45
Within a Historic
District
then
NR-0.75
H-45
Confronts or abuts
then
CRT-0.75
C-0.75 R-0.25 H-35
then
CRT-0.75
C-0.75 R-0.25 H-45
or site is bigger than 5 acres
C-1
if
R-90, R-60, R-40, or R-MH
Confronts or abuts RT
or more intense
Forest Glen
Page 4 of 10
FOREST GLEN
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
The Forest Glen Sector Plan was approved and adopted in July of 1996. The Forest Glen
community consists of two neighborhoods: Forest Glen East and Forest Glen West, separated
by Georgia Avenue. The Sector Plan
envisions each neighborhood to be a stable
single-family residential community with
enhancements that facilitate pedestrian and
bicycle access to the Forest Glen Metrorail
station and to the communitys public open
spaces.
The Sector Plan seeks to focus new
development at locations near the Metrorail
station, balance the needs of residents and
the regional interests served by Holy Cross
Hospital, located in Forest Glen East, provide
attractive landscaping and connections along
Georgia Avenue, and ensure the overall compatibility
of future development with the existing community.
Forest Glen Station Townhouses located near

the Forest Glen metro
Holy Cross Hospital
Forest Glen
Page 5 of 10
ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
The Forest Glen Planning Area currently has 6 zones: 1 Commercial and 5 Residential.
Existing Residential:
R-60: Detached Unit, Single-Family
RT-12.5: Townhouse, Single-Family
R-10: Multi-Family, High Density
R-20: Multi-Family, Medium Density
R-30: Multi-Family, Low Density
Existing Commercial:
C-1: Convenience Commercial
The existing R-60 will remain. The RT-12.5 will remain RT-12.5 (Townhouse) zone. The R-10, R-20, and R30 zones will remain.
The existing C-1 zone translates to the proposed CRT (Commercial Residential Town) zone based on the
location and context for each of the parcels located in C-1 zone. Each parcels translation was based on
the standardized translation, with the overall goal to retain currently allowed heights and densities and
maintain context sensitivity.
Forest Glen
Zone
R-60
Existing
Acres
303.99
Proposed
Percent
Zone
86.12 R-60
Acres
Percent
303.99
86.12
RT-12.5
11.09
3.14 RT-12.5
11.09
3.14
R-10
14.43
4.09 R-10
14.43
4.09
R-20
16.46
4.66 R-20
16.46
4.66
R-30
6.08
1.72 R-30
6.08
1.72
C-1
0.96
0.27 CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.25 H-35
0.96
0.27
Grand Total
Forest Glen
353.00 Grand Total
Page 6 of 10
353.00
ZONE IMPLEMENTATION
Forest Glen: Existing Zoning
Residential Medium Density
Townhouse
Multi-Family
Commercial
Forest Glen: Proposed Zoning

Residential Medium Density
Townhouse
Multi-Family
Comm/Res - Town
Forest Glen
Page 7 of 10
EXISTING ZONING MAP

Existing Zones
Residential
Medium Density
R-60
Townhouse
RT-12.5
Multi-Family
R-30
R-20
R-10
Commercial
C-1
Forest Glen
Page 8 of 10
PROPOSED ZONING MAP

Proposed Zones
Residential
Medium Density
R-60
Townhouse
RT-12.5
Multi-Family
R-30
R-20
R-10
Comm/ResNeighborhood
CRT
Forest Glen
Page 9 of 10
PLANNING AREA CONTEXT
Forest Glen
Page 10 of 10

Master Plan Review: Forest Glen

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Master Plan Review: Forest Glen

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Master Plan Review: Forest Glen

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Master Plan Review

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

ONING CODE REWRITE

Public Listening Session 9/2009

ZONE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

Agricultural, Residential, and Industrial Zone Implementation:

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

Commercial and Mixed-Use Zone Implementation:

Example: C-1 Convenience Commercial

or site is bigger than 5 acres

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

Forest Glen Station Townhouses located near

Holy Cross Hospital

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

0.27 CRT-0.75 C-0.75 R-0.25 H-35

353.00 Grand Total

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

Forest Glen: Proposed Zoning

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

EXISTING ZONING MAP

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

PROPOSED ZONING MAP

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

PLANNING AREA CONTEXT

Updated July 2014 based on Adopted DMA

You might also like