Master Plan Review

ASPEN HILL
Approved and Adopted April 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

ASPEN HILL
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
The Aspen Hill Master Plan was approved and adopted in April 2004. The Master Plan reinforces the primarily suburban and residential character of Aspen Hill, seeks to increase opportunities for community interaction and promotes diverse recreation and transportation options for community residents and workers. To support its vision for Aspen Hill, the Master Plan makes key recommendations in each of five areas: Land Use, Transportation, Environment, Historic and Facilities. In the area of Land Use, the Master Plan recommends returning the former Vitro site to office use in the long term, continuing the existing office use of the Lee Development Group site, transforming the right-of-way for the former Rockville Facility to green space, and permitting appropriate in-fill development. The Plans transportation element recommends creating a multi-use trail system to function as a recreational and commuting resource, promoting a hiker-biker connection from Rock Creek Park to Northwest Branch Park, and providing incentives to reduce vehicular trips. The Master Plan also provides environmental recommendations that advocate for protecting stream valleys, wetlands, and forested areas through development regulations; implementing stormwater management retrofits of developed sites; and expanding recycling programs for multi-family and nonresidential developments. In the areas of historic resources and facilities, the Master Plan promotes preserving the communitys historic and architectural resources. The Plan also recommends providing adequate funding for the upkeep of recreational facilities, allowing child day care facilities in the non-age restricted portion of the PRC zone, and supporting a separate zip code for Aspen Hill to increase community identity. Aspen Hills National Capital Trolley Museum

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

ZONE CONVERSION
The Aspen Hill Planning Area currently has 25 zones: 15 Residential, 5 Commercial, 1 Mixed Use, and 4 Planned Development.

Existing Residential: RE-2: Detached Unit, Single Family RE-2/TDR: Detached Unit, Single Family RE-1: Detached Unit, Single Family RE-1/TDR: Detached Unit, Single Family R-200: Detached Unit, Single Family R-150/TDR: Detached Unit, Single Family R-150: Detached Unit, Single Family R-90: Detached Unit, Single Family R-60: Detached Unit, Single Family R-60/TDR: Detached Unit, Single Family RT-8: Townhouse, Single Family RT-12.5: Townhouse, Single Family R-30: Multi-Family, Low Density R-20: Multi-Family, Medium Density R-H: Multi-Family, High Rise Planned Standard Conversion:

Existing Commercial O-M: Office Building, Moderate Intensity C-1: Convenience Commercial C-2: General Commercial C-T: Commercial, Transitional C-O: Commercial, Office Building Existing Mixed Use: RMX-2C: Residential Mixed Use Planned Development PD-2 PD-3 PD-7 PRC

The existing RE-2 and RE-2/TDR will convert to the proposed RE-2 zone. The existing RE-1 and RE-1/TDR will convert to the proposed RE-1 zone. The existing R-200, R-150/TDR, and R-150 zones will convert to the proposed RLD-20 (Residential Low Density) zone. The existing R-90 will convert to the proposed RMD-9 (Residential Medium Density) zone. The existing R-60 and R-60/TDR will convert to the proposed RMD-6 (Residential Medium Density) zone. The existing RT-8 will convert into the proposed TLD (Townhouse Low Density) zone and the existing RT-12.5 will convert to the proposed TMD (Townhouse Medium Density) zone. The R-30 will convert to the proposed RHD-3 (Multi-family, Low Density) zone, the R-20 will convert to the proposed RHD-2 (Multi-family, Medium Density) zone, and the existing R-H will convert to the proposed RHD-1 (Multi-family, High Density) zone. The existing Planned Development zones will convert to proposed Planned Unit Development Zones. The existing Commercial and Mixed Use zones will convert to the specific proposed EOF, EG, CRN, and CRT zones using both the standard conversion criteria and specific Master Plan recommendations. Commercial and Mixed Use parcels that do not have specific master plan recommendations will convert to the proposed zone based on the standard zoning conversion table.

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

MASTER PLAN-DRIVEN CONVERSIONS

Master Plan Recommended Conversion: Several Aspen Hill parcels will convert to the proposed zones based on Aspen Hill 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

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

1 RMX-2C EOF-2.0 H-65 1 Conform to master plan recommendations regarding use. Zone category is EOF instead of CR. Aspen Hill Master Plan: Page 41-46
Office is the preferred use in the long term. However, the existing surplus of office space in the County and the decision by Vitro to vacate the on-site offices, coupled with the proposal from Home Depot for a low density use of the property, leads to the recommendation to allow a limited amount of retail use on the site with the flexibility to return to office at the option of the owner through a floating zone.

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

2 C-O EOF-1.5 H-65 3 Conform to master plan recommendations regarding height. Allow heights up to 65 feet. Aspen Hill Master Plan: Page 46-47
No structure, excluding building mechanics, should be higher than two stories above the existing structure [which is 3 stories in height.]

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

ZONE CONVERSION

Aspen Hill
Zone
RE-2 RE-2/TDR RE-1 RE-1/TDR R-200 R-150 R-150/TDR R-90 R-60 R-60/TDR RT-8 RT-12.5 R-30 R-20 R-H C-1

Existing Total
956.43 50.28 30.66 15.32 2545.70 193.52 12.04 1344.59 627.28 1.17 5.33 36.51 33.14 238.21 19.84 66.38

Proposed Percent
13.22 0.69 0.42 0.21 35.18 2.67 0.17 18.58 8.67 0.02 0.07 0.50 0.46 3.29 0.27 0.92

Zone
RE-2 RE-1

Total
1006.70 45.98

Percent
13.91 0.64

RLD-20 RMD-9 RMD-6 TLD TMD RHD-3 RHD-2 RHD-1 CRN-0.75 C-0.5 R-0.5 H-45 CRT-1.0 C-0.75 R-0.75 H-45 EG-1.0 H-45 CRN-0.5 C-0.5 R-0.25 H-35 CRN-0.5 C-0.5 R-0.25 H-35 CRT-2.5 C-1.5 R-1.5 H-75 EOF-1.0 H-45 EOF-1.5 H-65 EOF-2.0 H-65

2751.25 1344.59 628.45 5.33 36.51 33.14 238.21 19.84 19.02 30.58 0.28 16.36 18.15 19.17 2.06 5.13 13.21 1018.01

38.02 18.58 8.69 0.07 0.50 0.46 3.29 0.27 0.26 0.42 0.00 0.23 0.25 0.26 0.03 0.07 0.18 14.07

C-T C-2 O-M C-O RMX-2C PD-2 PD-3 PD-7 PRC

1.79 19.17 2.06 5.13 13.21 16.05 26.70 28.09 947.17

0.02 0.26 0.03 0.07 0.18 0.22 0.37 PUD 0.39 13.09

Grand Total

7235.7

Grand Total

7235.7

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 Estate
RE-1 RE-1/TDR RE-2 RE-2/TDR

Residential Low Density

R-150 R-200 R-200/TDR

Residential Medium Density

R-60 R-60/TDR R-90

Townhouse
RT-8 RT-12.5

Multi-Family
R-H R-20 R-30

Commercial
C-1 C-2 C-T C-O O-M

Mixed-Use
RMX-2C

Planned Development
PD-2 PD-3 PD-7 PRC

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

PROPOSED ZONING MAP

Proposed Zones
Residential Estate
RE-1 RE-2

Residential Low Density

RLD-20

Residential Medium Density

RMD-6 RMD-9

Townhouse
TLD TMD

Multi-Family
RHD-1 RHD-2 RHD-3

Comm/ResNeighborhood
CRN

Comm/ResTown
CRT

Employment, General
EG

Employment, Office
EOF

Planned Development
PD

Proposal based on November 22, 2011 ZAP Review Draft

www.zoningmontgomery.org