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1. What is the mission of the Montgomery County Planning Department?

To improve quality of life in Montgomery County by planning the natural and built environments for current and future generations.

2. What is the role of the Montgomery County Planning Board?

The five-member Planning Board manages the physical growth of communities through its review of plans, zoning, development applications and subdivision proposals. The Board is also responsible for the development and management of Montgomery County’s nationally recognized 36,512-acre park system. Meet the Montgomery County Planning Board.

3. What are the responsibilities of the Montgomery County Planning Department?

To plan for the brightest possible future for Montgomery County and its residents. Montgomery Planning’s recommendations ensure that communities are designed and equipped to keep pace with the way we live, work and play now and decades from now. The Planning Department creates great communities by developing master plans, reviewing applications for development and analyzing various types of information to help public officials plan for the future. The Department provides recommendations, information, analysis and services to the Montgomery County Planning Board, the County Council, the County Executive, government agencies and the public. For more information, visit www.montgomeryplanning.org.

4. Where is the Montgomery County Planning Department located?

The Planning Department’s headquarters, often referred to as the Maryland Regional Office building or MRO, is located on the edge of downtown Silver Spring at 8787 Georgia Avenue next to Spring Street. A new M-NCPPC building is currently under construction in downtown Wheaton where Montgomery Parks and Planning will reside along with other Montgomery County agencies. View the project page for more information on the new headquarters.

5. Where can I learn about my community’s master plan?

Master and sector plan project pages with links to plan documents are part of Montgomery Planning’s web site. You can click on a map of Montgomery County at http://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/communities/ and be directed to a plan and information about your community.

6. Is there any development planned in my community?

An interactive, digital map called the Development Finder is regularly updated by the Planning Department to show proposed developments in Montgomery County. This map can be searched by address and the search diameter can be changed from between 1 to 10 miles to find any development plans in the pipeline: http://mcatlas.org/devfinder/

7. Is there any development planned in my community?

An interactive, digital map called the Development Finder is regularly updated by the Planning Department to show proposed developments in Montgomery County. This map can be searched by address and the search diameter can be changed from between 1 to 10 miles to find any development plans in the pipeline: http://mcatlas.org/devfinder/

8. How can I get involved with the planning process?

Ways of getting involved with the planning process include community engagement events, public testimony about plans and proposed development, social media, interactive digital maps and online outreach. Please contact staff at Montgomery Planning with any comments or questions. Check out the Connect With Us page on Montgomery Planning’s website for more.

9. What is the zoning in my community?

Zoning specifies permitted land uses and regulates the size of land areas as well as the scale of buildings in order to guide growth and development. Montgomery Planning maintains an interactive, online official zoning map of Montgomery County, indicating land uses in specific areas. Users can search by address at http://www.mcatlas.org/zoning/. Case numbers for all previous zoning and conditional use approvals are indicated on the digital map.

10. Does my land have a record plat?

A “record plat” is a plan or a map of a plot of land that includes a description of the land and everything on it, including boundaries, roads and buildings. To find your plat, consult the interactive map on the Planning Department website. A search box at the top right will accept an address, plat number or town so you can zoom into a location.
http://www.mcatlas.org/plats/

11. What permits do I need for my development project?

The Montgomery Planning’s Development Applications and Regulatory Coordination (DARC) Division manages the timely review of development applications for consistency with adopted master plans as well as impact on the environment, quality of design, compatibility with neighboring uses and the availability of public facilities (water and sewer, transportation, schools). The application process involves several stages, including sketch, site and preliminary plans, that require Planning Board approvals. This review process can take up to 120 days.

Once the plans for the development project are approved by the Planning Board, the applicant must apply for a building permit at Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS). A building permit is required for all new construction, additions, alterations and changes of use in Montgomery County and municipalities, with the exceptions of the City of Rockville and the City of Gaithersburg. Learn more about DPS.

12. I want to talk to a real person – what is the best way to do this?

If you have a question about your property, you can call Montgomery Planning’s Information Counter at tel. 301-495-4610 or visit the counter on the second floor of the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD). You can also email MCP-InfoCounter@mncppc-mc.org and your inquiry will be directed to the appropriate staff.