Reducing Our Footprint

reducing our footprint reducing our footprint Ensuring adequate school capacity The Growth Policy monitors capacity and enrollment in Montgomery County schools to help evaluate residential subdivision applications § annual school capacity test predicts school enrollment and forewarns of capacity shortfalls § predicted enrollment in excess of capacity triggers a school facility payment from residential developers or moratorium

Planning Board Draft 2009-2011 Growth Policy Summary Montgomery County Planning Department

more community sustainable walking nature transit time

Protecting agricultural land Montgomery County protects more than one-third of the county's land for agricultural uses in the 93,000-acre Agricultural Reserve § ensures a local farming industry § wards off sprawl § reduces our carbon output

Montgomery County - Smart Growth Criteria

Affordable housing* Projects must devote additional resources to providing affordable housing § provides diversite housing types § allows essential service providers like teachers and police officers to live close to work § builds on MPDU and workforce housing goals by lowering transportation – and thus, household costs

All projects must meet the following criteria to be considered for an Alternative PAMR Review and 100% PAMR offset: ? Project must be located within ½ mile of an existing or planned major transit

Coordinating with master plans and zoning Coordinating the Growth Policy with master plans and zoning creates a unified approach toward achieving smart growth goals. § Community master plans provide a long-range vision for quality of life, land use, zoning, environment, historic preservation and transportation issues § the zoning ordinance specifies how development can take place in each location in the county § the growth policy coordinates delivery of public facilities to support growth

stop or high-quality transit corridor. Project must be mixed use with a minimum 50% residential use. ? Project must seek to achieve the maximum density of the site using 75% or more

of the maximum density allowed in the zone (including all applicable bonuses) subject to the limits specified in the master/sector plan. ? Building(s) exceeds energy efficiency standards by 17.5% for new buildings or by

10.5% for existing building renovation. Or, building(s) has on-site energy production such that 2.5% of the annual building energy cost is off-set by the renewable production system (LEED New Construction/Major Renovation. ? The project must provide additional affordable housing, either workforce

housing or moderately priced dwelling units, above and beyond that required for plan approval such that 25% of the PAMR mitigation resource being offset is applied to this obligation.

The PAMR offset will be directed as follows: ? Fifty % of the PAMR mitigation resource being offset must be directed to

transit infrastructure. ? Twenty-five % of the PAMR mitigation resource being offset must be

applied to the provision of additional affordable housing, either workforce housing or moderately priced dwelling units, above and beyond that required for plan approval. ? And, the remaining twenty-five % of the PAMR mitigation resource will be

retained by the developer.

Strategic growth areas) Development directed to locations where infrastructure, such as transit, is in place § builds on a strategic concentration of industry, such as life sciences § encourages redevelopment of surface parking lots § redevelops where public transportation and other services are not fully used

Greener growth* Buildings must seek to achieve high energy efficiency § exceeding energy efficiency standards for new buildings (by 17.5%) or existing buildings (by 10.5%) in exchange for transportation mitigation incentive § consumes less energy and reduces the county's carbon output

LEGEND

parkland agricultural and rural open space

Encouraging mixed uses*

Compact development*

Development projects must be mixed-use (minimum 50% residential) § generates fewer trips than uniform commercial development § balances the jobs-housing ratio § creates 24/7 communities

Projects must seek to achieve maximum allowable density (75% or more) § increases walking and cycling, leading to healthier lifestyles, less obesity § encourages community through increased interaction § reduces our carbon footprint by using less land and fewer resources

Building near transit* Projects must be located within one-half mile of existing or planned transit stops § reduces travel demand and greenhouse gas emissions § increases transit ridership § reduces impervious parking

*Smart Growth Criteria provide incentives for more efficient growth. Developers can reduce implementation costs by meeting some or all of these criteria.