Montgomery County Council Meets on June 24 to Vote on Montgomery County Planning Board Appointment and Zoning Measure to Amend the Bethesda Overlay Zone

MARYLAND, June 23 - For Immediate Release: Monday, June 23, 2025

Also on June 24: Council will receive its semi-annual update from the Department of Health and Human Services

The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, June 24 at 9:15 a.m. and the meeting will begin with a proclamation presentation, presented by Councilmember Gabe Albornoz and Council President Kate Stewart, to recognize National Mental Health Awareness Month. At 11:30 a.m., the Council will hold its annual Pride Month commemoration.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Board of Investment Trustees and Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust Board of Trustees: Adam Downs, Beryl L. Feinberg, Paul Madden

Interviews: The Council will conduct interviews with Adam Downs, Beryl L. Feinberg, and Paul Madden, who are candidates to fill one vacant position on the Board of Investment Trustees and Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust Board of Trustees. The Board of Investment Trustees oversees the investment of approximately $5.5 billion in assets for approximately 16,500 active and retired members of the three retirement plans: defined benefit, defined contribution, and deferred compensation. Additionally, the Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the investment program for the Consolidated Retiree Health Benefits Trust, which has assets of approximately $1.4 billion.

Nomination and Appointment to the Montgomery County Planning Board

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on nominations and appointment to the Montgomery County Planning Board. The Planning Board serves as the County’s principal land use and planning advisor. Planning Board members also serve as commissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. During the June 10 Council meeting, interviews were conducted with Brandice Elliott, Mitra Pedoeem, and John Schlichting for one full-term position.

Planning Board members must live in the County and be registered to vote as a member of any political party or unaffiliated. No more than three members of the Planning Board may be from the same political party. Members generally serve four-year terms and are limited to two full terms.

District Council Session

Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-04, Overlay Zones - Bethesda (B) Overlay Zone

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on Zoning Text Amendment (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.

Executive Regulation 8-21, Transportation Demand Management

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on a resolution for Executive Regulation 8-21, Transportation Demand Management, which establishes standards for achieving the Non-Auto Driver Mode Share (NADMS) goals established for portions of the County. The NADMS goals relate to the percentage of commuter trips made by travel modes other than the single occupant vehicles coupled with the percentage of commuters connecting to work electronically. The regulation also establishes the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan requirements for employers and the TDM plan requirements for new development projects and existing buildings in Transportation Management Districts, as determined by the project size and location relative to the County’s designated Growth and Infrastructure Policy Areas.

Consent Calendar

Each item on the Council’s Consent Calendar can be found on the Council agenda for Tuesday, June 24, which is available on the Council website.

Public Hearings

Unless otherwise noted, the Council will hold the following hybrid public hearings at 1:30 p.m.  Residents can visit the Council website to learn about the multiple ways to provide testimony.

Council Sitting as the Board of Health

Semi-Annual Update as the Board of Health

Briefing: Sitting as the Board of Health, the Council will receive a semi-annual update on public health issues in the County from Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Kisha Davis and representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The presentation will include an update on the DHHS Mobile Health Clinic, data on substance use issues in the County, information about the overall health and well-being of County residents, maternal health data and safety net resources and services.

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The Council 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: 25-222
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884