Wheaton, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Planning Department, both part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NPPC), announced their July 2025 calendar of events. The public can participate in Planning Board meetings by testifying in-person, testifying virtually, over the phone, or by sending written comments on specific Planning Board agenda items to  mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org by 12 noon two business days before the Planning Board meeting. Items received after this date and time will not be included in the record. Contact us for accessibility accomodations.

The public may attend Planning Board meetings in-person, watch them live or on-demand, or listen over the phone. View individual agendas, which are usually made public ten days prior to the start of a meeting. Consult the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) website for their agenda information. For more details, review the list of events below. These events are subject to change.

Please note: The Planning Board and Planning Department offices will be closed on Friday, July 4. The Planning Board will also be on recess during the month of August and meetings will resume in September.

July calendar of events and meetings

July 1 – The Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting will be hybrid. The community is invited to attend in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Third Floor, Conference Room #3-202, Wheaton, MD) or online by the DRC live video stream. The DRC is an inter-agency task force comprised of representatives from Montgomery Planning, the State Highway Administration, the county departments of Permitting Services, Enviornmental Protection, and Transportation, and utilities such as WSSC and PEPCO. At these regularly scheduled meetings twice a month, DRC members discuss development applications with applicants.

July 3 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting online.

July 8 – The Montgomery County Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the Planning Board Draft of the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways 2025 Technical Update at 1:30 p.m. Learn how to participate in the public hearing and/or provide comments.

July 9 – The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will hold its meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) at 7 p.m. with a virtual option available upon request. To testify on an agenda item, sign up no later than 9 a.m.

July 10 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor, Wheaton, MD) and online.

July 15 – The Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting will be hybrid. The community is invited to attend in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Third Floor, Conference Room #3-202, Wheaton, MD) or online by watching DRC live video stream.

July 16 – The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will hold its monthly Full Commission meeting.

July 17 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor, Wheaton, MD) and online.

July 23 – The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will hold its meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) at 7 p.m. with a virtual option available upon request. To testify on an agenda item, sign up no later than 9 a.m. the day before the hearing.

July 24 –  The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor, Wheaton, MD) and online.

July 29 –  The Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting will be hybrid. The community is invited to attend in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Third Floor, Conference Room #3-202, Wheaton, MD) or online by watching DRC live video stream.

July 31 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor, Wheaton, MD) and online.

Planning Board approves master plan focused on a three-mile stretch of University Boulevard/MD 193 between Wheaton and the Capital Beltway

WHEATON, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), voted on Thursday, June 12, 2025, to approve the University Boulevard Corridor (UBC) Plan. The plan will now be transmitted to the Montgomery County Council for review.

Read the latest draft of the plan. The Planning Board Draft will be posted to the plan website once the Planning Board’s revisions are included.

The UBC Plan makes recommendations for community needs within a three-mile stretch of University Boulevard (MD 193) from the edge of East Indian Spring Drive, just south of I-495, to Amherst Avenue in Wheaton. The draft recommendations focus on traffic safety, regional connectivity, environmental sustainability, corridor-focused growth, economic development, and providing more housing of all types, sizes and prices to meet a variety of housing needs. The plan explores opportunities for new transit-oriented housing, bikeways, and bus rapid transit (BRT), as well as the creation of complete streets with wider sidewalks, comfortable public transportation stops, and safe access.

“The University Boulevard Corridor Plan is a step toward creating a safer and more connected community. With this plan, we prioritize safety for all modes of transportation, while also expanding access to a variety of housing options that reflect the needs of the people who live and work along the corridor,” said Planning Board Chair Artie Harris. “The Planning Board is proud to support this vision that was founded on community input and prepares this area for a more equitable and vibrant future.”

The Planning Board’s vote follows a February 27 public hearing and eight work sessions throughout the spring with staff from the Montgomery County Planning Department, also part of The M-NCPPC, that refined the plan based on the community’s input since the project kicked off in November 2022. The Planning Board Draft of the plan will be transmitted to the County Council, which will conduct its own public review process before voting on final approval.

Overview of plan recommendations

• To promote sustainable development patterns, provide more housing options, and support transportation safety enhancements along University Boulevard, rezone properties that are: in corridor-facing blocks; institutional properties, such as properties used for religious assembly; and existing single-use commercial shopping centers. The zoning changes provide property owners with more flexibility for what they can build on their properties if they choose to redevelop. Institutional properties or properties with more width and depth in these areas may accommodate infill development depending on the size of the property.
• Establish an overlay zone to promote a diverse range of housing options in a compact, transit-oriented form of growth that supports BRT, creates complete communities, and improves safety for all travelers. The overlay zone will apply to properties recommended for rezoning in the plan and consider elements including building placement, site coverage, provision of public open space, and uses to transition from the corridor to the neighborhoods.
• Locate higher building densities and mixed uses at locations near BRT stations with existing commercial properties, including the WTOP property, the Kemp Mill Shopping Center, and Four Corners, and ensure new development transitions from larger to smaller buildings to adjacent residential properties.
• Implement a connected network of streets, comfortable walkways, and low-stress bicycle facilities, and right-size roadways and intersections to create a safer and more comfortable environment for people who are walking, rolling, bicycling, riding transit, and driving.
• Provide dedicated transit lanes along University Boulevard and Colesville Road (U.S. 29).
• Explore alternative ways to navigate the Four Corners area that include short-term recommendations for limited change to the street network that provide safe, accessible, and healthy travel options for people walking, biking, rolling, riding transit, and traveling in cars.  A long-term vision of additional street connections should be further studied.
• Improve pavement markings, lighting, and sight distance and explore protected crossings at the interchanges with I-495 at Colesville Road and University Boulevard to improve safety for all modes of transportation.
• Improve connections to and explore improvements within existing local parks, including the Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail.
• Make University Boulevard more resilient to climate change by incorporating tree canopy, shaded bus stops, improved stormwater management, and landscaped buffers.

More about the University Boulevard Corridor Plan

The UBC Plan builds on major Montgomery County initiatives—including the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050 and Vision Zero – and is centered on residential neighborhoods, schools, parks, places of worship, businesses, and other institutional uses along University Boulevard/MD 193 between Amherst Avenue at the edge of the Wheaton Central Business District (CBD), to the area immediately south of the Capital Beltway (I-495). The Four Corners area serves as an important element in the plan area with commercial and institutional properties, including the Woodmoor Shopping Center, Montgomery Blair High School, and Saint Bernadette Catholic Church and School. Colesville Road is a major intersection with University Boulevard in the plan area.

The plan strives to address community needs as they pertain to traffic safety, regional connectivity, environmental sustainability, housing, and economic development. Broadly, the plan advances Vision Zero goals with overall improved road safety and quality of life using complete streets and enhancing development potential of the plan area for corridor-focused growth. What is corridor-focused growth?

Community members are encouraged to sign up for the plan’s newsletter to get regular updates.

Draft recommendations set a vision for an area of Clarksburg east of I-270

Wheaton, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), briefed the Montgomery County Planning Board on the preliminary recommendations for the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan at its June 5 meeting. The Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan focuses on an area of Clarksburg that is east of I-270 and west of Frederick Road (MD 355).

Read the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan Preliminary Recommendations.

Key preliminary recommendations include:

• Change existing employment-oriented zones on select properties in the Sector Plan area, to commercial-residential zones (CR and CRT) to add land use and development flexibility for new development projects, with modest increases to maximum allowable development density.
• Provide new residential developments with at least 15% Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs).
• Remove from the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways an unbuilt highway interchange on I-270 between existing Exit 16 (Ridge Road) and Exit 18 (Clarksburg Road). Instead, construct a bridge over I-270 at this location to improve multi-modal east-west movement, with the future completion of Little Seneca Parkway.
• Complete Observation Drive through the plan area in coordination with future development, with a shifted roadway alignment away from sensitive environmental areas and residential neighborhoods.
• Recommend a new master planned ‘main street’ through the former COMSAT Laboratories property as a central spine for future development of a new activity center in Clarksburg.
• Meet or exceed environmental design and protection techniques with new development as established by the latest adopted Montgomery County Planning Board Environmental Guidelines, especially those standards applicable to the Ten Mile Creek Special Protection Area and Clarksburg Special Protection Area.
• Preserve land along the stream valleys of Little Seneca Creek tributaries by private conservation easement or by establishing or expanding public parkland in recommended locations. 
• Designate the Community of Faith United Methodist Church and the Clarksburg Heights subdivision as Historic Sites in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation.

Work on the plan began in Spring 2023 when the Planning Board approved the Scope of Work and Plan Area Boundary. Following the approval, planners facilitated conversations with the Clarksburg community to understand the opportunities and challenges for the plan area. Following a series of meetings, canvassing, listening sessions, and visioning workshops, planners presented the “emerging ideas” of the plan to the community in January 2025. Feedback on these ideas was collected and ultimately crafted into the plan’s preliminary recommendations.

Next steps

Planners will bring in feedback from the Planning Board on the preliminary recommendations and begin to draft the first draft of the plan (called the Working Draft). Following the presentation of the Working Draft to the Planning Board, the Board will set a public hearing to receive written and oral testimony on the draft plan and will hold work sessions for the plan. The draft plan will then be transmitted to the Montgomery County Council for review by the end of the year.

About the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan

The Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan is an update to the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan and Hyattstown Special Study Area, which was last revised with the 2011 Clarksburg Master Plan and Hyattstown Special Study Area Limited Amendment and the 2014 10 Mile Creek Area Limited Amendment. The plan area consists of approximately 969 acres and is generally bounded by I-270 to the west, West Old Baltimore Road and the Little Seneca Greenway to the south, Clarksburg Road to the north, and Frederick Road (MD 355) to the east.

The plan will focus on a portion of the Transit Corridor District and small parts of a few surrounding areas, including the I-270 corridor—a significant employment resource for the county and the region. By evaluating land use, zoning, transportation, environmental, and historic preservation to determine if a new mix of land uses and zoning would be more appropriate for this area, this plan will make recommendations for how best to update the 1994 plan and its 2011 and 2014 amendments for an improved Transit Corridor District, including interchange design, staging of retail development, transportation corridors, and environmental recommendations.

The plan will also provide an opportunity to integrate policy guidance from countywide plans and initiatives, including Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Plan, the Pedestrian Master Plan, Complete Streets Design Guide, Thrive Montgomery 2050, the Climate Action Plan, and Vision Zero, as well as employ a robust outreach and engagement strategy to create a plan that advances racial equity and social justice.

Major properties in the plan area include the Gateway 270 office park, the former Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT), Clarksburg High School, Rocky Hill Middle School, and the residential neighborhoods of Gateway Commons, Gallery Park (formerly Eastside), Hurley Ridge, Clarksburg Square (formerly Garnkirk Farms), and Dowden’s Station. Other areas in the plan have largely been developed according to the 1994 Plan or have been evaluated as part of the 2014 10 Mile Creek Area Limited Amendment and therefore, don’t need to be evaluated at this time.

Wheaton, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Planning Department, both part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), announced their June 2025 calendar of events. The public can participate in Planning Board meetings by  testifying in-person, testifying virtually, over the phone, or by sending in written comments to the Planning Board on specific Planning Board agenda items to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org by 12 noon two business days before the Planning Board meeting. Items received after this date and time will not be included in the record. Contact us for accessibility accommodations.

The public may attend Planning Board meetings in-person, watch them live or on-demand, or listen over the phone. View individual agendas, which are usually made public ten days prior to the start of a meeting. Consult the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) website for their agenda information. For more details, review the list of events below. These events are subject to change.

June calendar of events and meetings

Please note: There will not be a Planning Board meeting on Thursday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.

June 1 – Montgomery Planning’s free Wheels in Wheaton placemaking event continues (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) in downtown Wheaton in conjunction with Taste of Wheaton. The department’s Wheaton Placemaking Initiative, in partnership with the Wheaton Urban District, is hosting a weekend of activities to showcase how underutilized public spaces in an urban center can be reimagined to be functional, exciting, and recreational. Parking Lot 13 (11219 Grandview Avenue) behind M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters will be temporarily transformed May 31 and June 1 into a public roller-skating rink that is surrounded by gathering spaces, shading, decor, local food and beverages, and other family-friendly games and entertainment. 

June 3 – Join Montgomery Planning’s Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan team for a community conversation about the section of University Boulevard (between the Capital Beltway Interchange and Sligo Creek Park) that is included in the plan boundary. Help imagine the opportunities for new and improved connections to key destinations, housing, amenities and more. The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the cafeteria of Eastern Middle School at 300 University Boulevard East, Silver Spring, MD 20901. RSVPs are encouraged, but not required.

June 3 – The Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting will be hybrid. The community is invited to attend in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Third Floor, Conference Room #3-202, Wheaton, MD) or online by watching the DRC live video stream. The DRC is an inter-agency task force comprised of representatives from Montgomery Planning, the State Highway Administration, the county departments of Permitting Services, Environmental Protection, and Transportation, and utilities such as WSSC and PEPCO. At these regularly scheduled meetings twice a month, DRC members discuss development applications with the applicants.

June 5 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online.

June 11 – Community members are invited to attend a visioning workshop with Montgomery Planning’s team working on the Friendship Heights Sector Plan. Come anytime from 6 to 8 p.m. to the Wisconsin Place Community Recreation Center at 5311 Friendship Boulevard, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Topics to be addressed include parks and open spaces, the pedestrian network, the Wisconsin Avenue corridor and more. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.

June 11 – The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will hold its meeting in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) with a virtual option available upon request. To testify on an agenda item, sign up no later than 9 a.m. the day before the hearing.

June 12 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online.

June 16 – Community members are invited to attend and share input at a workshop hosted by the Montgomery Planning team working on the Germantown Sector Plan Amendment. The workshop will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Germantown Library, 19840 Century Boulevard, Germantown, MD 20874. RSVPs are encouraged, but not required.

June 17 – The Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting will be hybrid. The community is invited to attend in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Third Floor, Conference Room #3-202, Wheaton, MD) or online by watching the DRC live video stream. 

June 24 – Community members are invited to an online-only workshop hosted by Montgomery Planning’s Friendship Heights Sector Plan team. From 7 to 8:30 p.m., planners will discuss and gather community input about parks and open spaces, the pedestrian network, the Wisconsin Avenue corridor and more. Registration for the meeting is required to receive a link.

June 25 – Community members are invited to attend and share input at a workshop hosted by the Montgomery Planning team working on the Germantown Sector Plan Amendment. The workshop will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive, Germantown, MD 20874. RSVPs are encouraged, but not required.

June 25 – The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will hold its meeting in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) with a virtual option available upon request. To testify on an agenda item, sign up no later than 9 a.m. the day before the hearing.

June 26 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online.

Planning Board recommends historic designation for former home of civil rights leaders and a residence that inspired the creation of Special Olympics

WHEATON, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), on Thursday, May 22, recommended county historic designation for the Wheaton house where civil rights activists Elsie and Romeo Horad lived and for Timberlawn, the North Bethesda house where Eunice Kennedy Shriver launched a day camp for children with intellectual disabilities that inspired the creation of Special Olympics.

“Both of these properties represent the courageous work of enterprising individuals who fought for marginalized people to achieve equality and acceptance in society,” said Planning Board Chair Artie Harris. “The Planning Board is proud to preserve and celebrate the places where the Horad and Shriver families made a tremendous difference in shaping a better Montgomery County and world.”

Designation of resources to Montgomery County’s Master Plan for Historic Preservation requires review by the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the Planning Board, and ultimately, a vote of final approval by the Montgomery County Council. The Planning Board’s historic designation recommendations for the Horad House and Timberlawn follow the HPC’s recommendations in 2024 to historically designate them. The County Council will soon consider each property for designation. The Historic Preservation Office within the Montgomery County Planning Department, also part of The M-NCPPC, provided comprehensive research and prepared designation reports for each property’s respective reviews.

The Horad House

The Romeo and Elsie Horad House, a 1938 Georgian Revival brick house at 2118 University Boulevard West in Wheaton, represents the efforts and achievements of the African American married couple and their relatives to improve conditions for African Americans in the Washington, DC region.

In the 1930s and 40s, Romeo demanded and lobbied for improved educational facilities and infrastructure for Black communities in Montgomery County, ran a groundbreaking candidacy for the Montgomery County Council, and coordinated voter registration of African Americans in Maryland. A lawyer and realtor, Romeo’s efforts led to a series of pioneering court cases challenging the legality of racially restrictive covenants.

Elsie was a DC public school teacher and joined Romeo in their civil rights advocacy, holding leadership roles in the Montgomery County Colored Republicans and galvanizing community support for candidates who supported racial integration. All these actions occurred while the Horad family resided at the house, which served as a social and political meeting place. The residence further serves as a reminder of the former African American community established at the turn of the twentieth century in Wheaton. Learn more about the Horad family’s story. 

The property was nominated for designation as part of its inclusion in the boundary for Montgomery Planning’s University Boulevard Corridor Plan. More information and resources related to the Horad House are on Montgomery Planning’s Horad House webpage, and in a Third Place blog post. Community members are also encouraged to visit a historical marker accessible for public viewing near the home in Wheaton Veterans Plaza. Watch the video of the marker unveiling.

Timberlawn

This North Bethesda home is where, in 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a sister of then-president John F. Kennedy, launched Camp Shriver, a day camp that inspired her to help create Special Olympics and revolutionize physical recreation for people with intellectual disabilities.

When President Kennedy appointed Sargent Shriver, Eunice’s husband, as the inaugural director of the Peace Corps in 1961, the couple relocated their family to the Timberlawn estate at 5700 Sugarbush Lane, which the family rented from 1961 to 1968 and from 1970 to 1978. The house, open fields, riding trails, and farm served as their family home and an extension of their offices. 

The house’s architecture is noteworthy for its distinctive characteristics as a Georgian-Revival-influenced country estate designed in 1900. It’s also a remarkably intact sample of master architect Arthur Berthrong Heaton’s early and mid-career work. Timberlawn’s current homeowner sought the historic designation.

Learn more about the Timberlawn property and read the Timberlawn designation report. Watch a video about Timberlawn.

More about the historic designation process

When a property is approved to be historically designated in Montgomery County, all changes to the exterior of the property must be reviewed by the HPC before issuing any permits. Designation in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation:

• Recognizes significant architectural and cultural sites.
• Protects buildings and neighborhoods from demolition.
• Manages exterior alterations to resources.
• Provides property owners with information on care, restoration, and preservation.
• Qualifies property owners for special tax benefit programs. Read more about Montgomery County’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit.

Exceptional building, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, and housing projects invited to submit; deadline is July 21, 2025

Wheaton, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), is inviting developers, architects, and property owners to submit top-quality completed projects in Montgomery County for the 2025 Design Excellence Awards. The awards honor the best works in architecture and urban design that make a difference in people’s lives and represent Montgomery County’s highest quality of design to the region, state, and nation. There is an entry fee of $175 per project submitted.

Submit to the 2025 Design Excellence Awards.

The selection of the two winners will be made by an independent jury of national experts in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, planning and urban design.

The awards categories are:

• Gwen Marcus Wright Design Excellence Award: Honors the most outstanding architectural, urban design and/or landscape design in Montgomery County.
• Exceptional Housing Award: Honors the best multi-family housing in Montgomery County.

The biennial awards ceremony will be held at Celebrate Design 2025 event, co-hosted by the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter, on October 16, 2025, at the Marriott International Global Headquarters (7750 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD). The community is invited to attend this exciting ticketed regional event, which will also honor recipients of the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter’s Excellence in Design Awards.

The two winning projects and possible additional jury Merit Award winners will highlight how great designs within the county foster walkable, sustainable places at the scale of the neighborhood, block and/or building. The projects should be integral to the surrounding public realm of the pedestrian, bike, and/or street networks and should showcase the kind of buildings and places people love. Both Design Excellence award winners will illustrate how great design contributes to the community in terms of character, identity, and economic value. These awards provide the opportunity for the winning projects to be seen widely, particularly in business and professional settings where the best qualities of Montgomery County are promoted. Read the Third Place Blog post about the 2025 competition.

2025 Design Excellence Awards Jury

The jury is composed of accomplished and highly regarded practitioners in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, planning and urban design.

• Duncan Lyons, RIBA, Principal, Design Director – Gensler
• Michael Watkins, FAIA, FAICP, Principal – Michael Watkins Architects
• Colleen Healey, AIA, Principal – Colleen Healey Architecture
• Kate Ries, ASLA, Principal – Clinton+Ries Landscape Architects
• Uwe Brandes – Director Georgetown University Urban and Regional Planning Program

How to Apply

Projects eligible for the 2025 Design Excellence Awards include private and public structures and spaces located within Montgomery County built within the past 10 years and are currently occupied and in use. Entries for the housing category should be apartment, condominium, or townhouse buildings; single-family detached houses are ineligible for submission. Award entry forms are available at montgomeryplanning.org/design. Entries will be accepted starting May 21, 2025, and the deadline for submission is July 21, 2025.

Learn more about the Montgomery Planning’s Design Excellence initiative.

Review the 2023 Design Excellence Award winners and jury Merit Awards.

Celebrate Design 2025

The Celebrate Design 2025 event will be held on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at Marriott International Global Headquarters in downtown Bethesda (7750 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814). In previous years, this event has brought together urban designers, architects, landscape architects, planners, developers, builders, policymakers, elected officials, design professionals, artists and interested community members from across Montgomery County and the region.

Tickets are expected to go on sale for the October event in September.

For more information, contact Paul Mortensen at paul.mortensen@montgomeryplanning.org or 301-495-4523.

About Design Excellence

As one of the nation’s most educated, diverse, and prosperous counties, Montgomery County desires neighborhoods, public spaces and buildings of the highest-quality design to reflect our cultural health and maintain a competitive advantage within our region. Quality architectural design that frames a thriving public realm of streets and public spaces is a driving force for complete communities. Design excellence is increasingly important as available land for development in the county is shrinking, densities in our centers are increasing, and priorities for excellent public spaces become more acute. These development challenges present a great need to create and enhance attractive, safe, and sustainable places to live, work, and play. Design excellence is an important tool for attracting the best and brightest to our county – residents, businesses, and visitors. To raise the quality of design throughout the county, the Montgomery County Planning Department has launched a comprehensive Design Excellence initiative focused on the themes of inspiration, collaboration, and clarity.

Award highlights the success of temporarily reimagining a portion of Main Street in Damascus in October 2024

Baltimore, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), was recognized by the Maryland Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) with a Merit Award for the Damascus Placemaking Festival.

The award ceremony was held at the Baltimore Museum of Industry on May 6, 2025. Montgomery Planning’s team of planners and their consultants from Design Collective, Inc. and Graham Projects received the Merit Award for Analysis & Planning. The project was highlighted due to its community engagement efforts.

“The Damascus Placemaking Festival was a testament to the power of community collaboration, creativity, and vision,” said Montgomery Planning Director Jason Sartori. “To see our efforts recognized is not only an honor, but a reflection of what can happen when the community comes together with a shared purpose. This award belongs to everyone who helped shape a vibrant space for Damascus.”

About the Damascus Placemaking Festival

The Damascus Placemaking Festival temporarily transformed one block of a car-centric Main Street in Damascus, into a two-day community street festival that brought together more than 2,000 participants with a collaborative event that reflected the community’s identity. The event featured a performing arts space, participatory artwork, a bike lane and a vibrant outdoor seating area.

The Damascus Placemaking Festival demonstrated a need for pedestrian-focused improvements and community space in the heart of town. It created a renewed urgency to implement the 2006 Damascus Master Plan, which provides clear guidance to enhance Main Street’s sense of place and pedestrian realm. The Maryland ASLA Awards celebrate the exceptional work and accomplishments of its members. Founded in 1972, the Maryland Chapter of the ASLA is the professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 335 members statewide. Landscape architecture is a comprehensive discipline of land analysis, planning, design, management, preservation, and rehabilitation. Learn more about ASLA.

In October 2024, Montgomery Planning led an initiative to reimagine a segment of the Damascus Main Street as a vibrant community space through a festival. Leading up to the event, planners and project partners worked with Damascus residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to plan a community festival that incorporates cost-effective temporary interventions to improve the Main Street core of Damascus and help strengthen community ties to local businesses. The event cultivated a shared vision for shaping the future of Main Street and Damascus that embraces the community’s agrarian past and small-town character while addressing the needs of the future. Watch the video recap. The festival was free to the public and featured local vendors and entertainment for all ages.

What is placemaking?

Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of the community and strengthen the connection between community and the places they share. Placemaking refers to a collaborative process that shapes our public realm to maximize value. Beyond just promoting better urban design principles, placemaking facilitates creative thinking, capitalizes on community assets, and contributes to the community’s health, happiness, and well-being. More than livable; these places are loved. Put simply, placemaking incorporates community input and sentiment to make people feel good about where they live, work, or play and imagine the possibilities of their neighborhood. The goals of Montgomery Planning’s Placemaking Strategic Plan include:

• Use placemaking projects to support a competitive local economy.
• Equitably distribute placemaking projects to provide access to high-quality outdoor space for everyone.
• Use placemaking projects to help achieve the county’s Climate Action Plan goals.
• Improve the mental and physical health of individuals and communities through placemaking.
• Use placemaking to foster pride of place throughout the county.
• Encourage public entities with ownership of the public realm to prioritize placemaking.
• Minimize barriers for residents, property owners, and developers to encourage more placemaking projects in the county.
• Maximize the impact of Montgomery Planning’s annual investment in placemaking projects.

Family-friendly event transforms a parking lot in downtown Wheaton into a temporary roller-skating rink and public gathering spaces to showcase the power of placemaking

Wheaton, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Department’s Wheaton Placemaking Initiative and the Wheaton Urban District invite the community to Wheels in Wheaton, a free and interactive two-day event in the Wheaton Triangle showcasing how areas within urban centers can be transformed into more vibrant and entertaining public gathering spaces. A public parking lot behind The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Wheaton headquarters will be temporarily transformed into a roller-skating rink for public use surrounded by various gathering spaces, art installations, food and beverages, and family-friendly activities and entertainment. Below is a rendering of the design concept for the space:

Wheels in Wheaton is co-hosted by Montgomery Planning, part of The M-NCPPC, and the Wheaton Urban District in partnership with Montgomery Parks and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.

“I am really proud that this placemaking collaboration with the Wheaton Urban District and our great partners has kept the community’s priorities at the forefront,” said Montgomery Planning Director Jason K. Sartori. “We worked directly with community members through our work on the Wheaton Downtown Study to find out what could be possible to create a fun, temporary gathering space for everyone to enjoy. Wheels in Wheaton is sure to spark more great ideas for the future of the Wheaton Triangle and beyond!”  

“The Wheaton Urban District team has been working collaboratively with Montgomery Planning to bring this exciting initiative to life, and we are thrilled for the Wheaton community to enjoy it,” said Luisa Cardona, Mid-County Regional Director. “This is just the beginning of what we hope will be many creative uses of public space that serve and reflect the needs of our vibrant community. We’re even more excited to feature Wheels in Wheaton as a highlight of our signature Taste of Wheaton event—so attendees can experience not only this unique activation, but also the full range of flavors, cultures, and activities that make Wheaton so special.”

Event Details

When: Saturday, May 31 from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (as part of Taste of Wheaton on June 1)

Where: Parking Lot 13 at 11219 Grandview Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902 behind M-NCPPC Headquarters in downtown Wheaton. The community is encouraged to park in the County garage in the M-NCPPC Headquarters building. The garage can be accessed on Triangle Lane or Grandview Avenue. The cost is $1.00/hour.

Cost: Free for all ages

Throughout the weekend, Wheels in Wheaton attendees can enjoy:  

• Roller skating – with free rentals!  
• Skateboarding demonstrations and small group instruction with GOATS on Wheels
• Games 

• A beer garden featuring Saints Row Brewing
• Shaded seating areas to relax or enjoy food and drinks from nearby restaurants
• Art demonstrations and activities for children  
• A temporary mural for the weekend  
• … and more! 

Stay informed and get involved

Visit the Wheels in Wheaton event website for more information and what attendees need to know. Individuals are also encouraged to sign up for Montgomery Planning’s Wheaton e-newsletter to receive updates about the event via email.

Organizers are seeking community volunteers to help with a variety of tasks leading up to, during, and after the event. Browse our list of volunteer opportunities and sign up to pitch in. Individuals or organizations interested in partnering with Montgomery Planning for this event or potential future placemaking activations in Wheaton, please contact Wheels in Wheaton project lead Sophie Kotzker. 

More about the Wheaton Placemaking Initiative

Wheels in Wheaton is the first activation of Montgomery Planning’s Wheaton Placemaking Initiative, which came about as a direct result of the department’s 2022 Wheaton Downtown Study. During community engagement for the study, community members felt strongly about preserving the small business character of the Wheaton Triangle, the creation and support of public open space, a strong sense of place, and the improvement of safety and connectivity.

Planning staff conducted a public survey, a walk-audit with community leaders, a public open house, participated at local events, and had one-on-one conversations with business owners, artists, and other community organizers. The main takeaways included:

• Community members want areas to gather, more outdoor dining options, and more local shopping opportunities.
• Most visit Wheaton to eat, shop, and attend local events, and there is a strong desire for more markets, more programming, and more entertainment for all ages.
• Safety measures and more comfortable ways to get from place to place are important to enhance the community.
• Wheaton’s unique sense of place, culture, and local business economy is important to build on, and further support and grow.

What is placemaking?

Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of the community and strengthen the connection between community and the places they share. Placemaking refers to a collaborative process that shapes our public realm to maximize value. Beyond just promoting better urban design principles, placemaking facilitates creative thinking, capitalizes on community assets, and contributes to the community’s health, happiness, and well-being. More than livable; these places are loved. Put simply, placemaking incorporates community input and sentiment to make people feel good about where they live, work, or play and imagine the possibilities of their neighborhood. The goals of Montgomery Planning’s Placemaking Strategic Plan include:

• Use placemaking projects to support a competitive local economy.
• Equitably distribute placemaking projects to provide access to high-quality outdoor space for everyone.
• Use placemaking projects to help achieve the county’s Climate Action Plan goals.
• Improve the mental and physical health of individuals and communities through placemaking.
• Use placemaking to foster pride of place throughout the county.
• Encourage public entities with ownership of the public realm to prioritize placemaking.
• Minimize barriers for residents, property owners, and developers to encourage more placemaking projects in the county.
• Maximize the impact of Montgomery Planning’s annual investment in placemaking projects.

Wheaton, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Planning Department, both part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), announced their May 2025 calendar of events. The public can participate in Planning Board meetings by  testifying in-person, testifying virtually, over the phone, or by sending in written comments to the Planning Board on specific Planning Board agenda items to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org by 12 noon two business days before the Planning Board meeting. Items received after this date and time will not be included in the record. Contact us for accessibility accommodations.

The public may attend Planning Board meetings in-person, watch them live or on-demand, or listen over the phone. View individual agendas, which are usually made public ten days prior to the start of a meeting. Consult the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) website for their agenda information. For more details, review the list of events below. These events are subject to change.

May calendar of events and meetings

May 1 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online.

May 6 – The Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting will be hybrid. The community is invited to attend in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Third Floor, Conference Room #3-202, Wheaton, MD) or online by watching the DRC live video stream. The DRC is an inter-agency task force comprised of representatives from Montgomery Planning, the State Highway Administration, the county departments of Permitting Services, Environmental Protection, and Transportation, and utilities such as WSSC and PEPCO. At these regularly scheduled meetings twice a month, DRC members discuss development applications with the applicants.

May 8 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online.

May 14 – Join Montgomery Planning’s Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan team for a community conversation about Colesville Road (between the Capital Beltway Interchange and Sligo Creek Park). Help imagine the opportunities for new and improved connections to key destinations, housing, amenities and more. The meeting will take place at The Well Community Church (9525 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20901) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

May 14 – The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will hold its meeting in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) with a virtual option available upon request. To testify on an agenda item, sign up no later than 9 a.m. the day before the hearing.

May 15 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online.

May 15 – Montgomery Planning will host several pit stops as part of the DC region’s annual Bike to Work Day event. Planning staff will host information tables in Bethesda, Friendship Heights, Silver Spring, and Wheaton.

May 20 – Montgomery Planning’s team working on the Friendship Heights Sector Plan invites community members to attend an online presentation and Q&A session on the team’s existing conditions analysis of the plan area. Registration is required to receive a link to join the meeting, which will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

May 20 – The Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting will be hybrid. The community is invited to attend in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Third Floor, Conference Room #3-202, Wheaton, MD) or online by watching the DRC live video stream. 

May 22 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online.

May 28 – The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will hold its meeting in-person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) with a virtual option available upon request. To testify on an agenda item, sign up no later than 9 a.m. the day before the hearing.

May 29 – The Planning Board will hold its weekly meeting in-person (M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, Second Floor Auditorium, Wheaton, MD) and online. Please note: The surface parking lot adjacent to the building will be closed in preparation for the Wheels in Wheaton placemaking event. Parking remains available along Grandview and Ennals avenues and in the garage below the building.

May 31 and June 1 – On Saturday, May 31 (Noon to 8 p.m.), and Sunday, June 1 (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.), Montgomery Planning’s Wheaton Placemaking Initiative, in partnership with the Wheaton Urban District, will host Wheels in Wheaton. The free, two-day event in downtown Wheaton is open to the public and will showcase how underutilized public space in an urban center can be transformed to be functional, exciting, and recreational. Parking Lot 13 (11219 Grandview Avenue), behind M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters, will be temporarily transformed into a roller-skating rink for public use that is surrounded by gathering spaces, shading, decor, food and beverages, and family-friendly activities and entertainment. Visit the event website for more information.