Councilmembers approved two Zoning Text Amendments Tuesday aimed at making it easier, faster and more affordable to purchase a home or open a biohealth business in Montgomery County.
The goal of the Accelerate MoCo legislative package is to show developers that coming to Montgomery County is a smart move, now that they can receive faster approval and permitting times that are “dependable” and “streamlined” while still having all requirements checked, Councilmember Kate Stewart said during a news conference following the vote.
“This is about momentum, making sure that Montgomery County doesn’t just keep pace, that we lead,” Councilmember Andrew Friedson, lead sponsor of the Biohealth Priority Campus amendment, said.
He estimated that the average review time from a developer applying for a project to receiving final approval will drop from 600 days to 160 days.
It sends “a clear message” that Montgomery County will make it “easier, faster and cheaper” to bring life science companies here. The council is “sending a clear message that we are going to get aggressive.”
“Jobs and housing are intrinsically linked. We cannot do one without the other,” Friedson noted.
The amendment reduces the eligibility threshold developers of life science companies need to go through the expedited process. It reduces the minimum square footage requirement of new space to be constructed from 150,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet. It allows repurposing of an existing office space to a life sciences and research facility.
“We are cutting red tape. That’s really what we are doing,” Council President Natali Fani-González said.
Added Councilmember Dawn Luedtke: “Efficiency and opportunity have to go hand in hand.”
The county’s planning and permitting department staff have assured them they are able to handle approvals more quickly, according to several councilmembers.
This is the second step in the council’s efforts to accelerate permitting and approvals. The 2023 O.P.E.N. Act reduced the time it takes for a business to apply to the county and then open up by 75%, according to Friedson.
The new amendments allow county staff to approve various parts of a developer’s application simultaneously. Currently, each step had to be completed before the next request was reviewed.
“This is a massive time saver,” Friedson said. “We are adapting. We are innovating. We are taking responsibility for what we can control.”
The legislation targets the life sciences because “This is about saving lives,” Friedson said. “The companies we are working to attract and grow are developing cures, advancing treatments, and pushing the boundaries of science. The faster they can get up and running, the faster they can do that critical work.”
The council already is working on similar legislation that will encompass other industries.
The Mixed Income Housing Community Zoning Text Amendment lowers the threshold to allow more projects to go through the expedited process. It eliminates the 150,000 square foot minimum requirement for a mixed income housing community and increases the minimum number of dwelling units from 30 to 50.
“I am pleased to say the legislation works, ” said Adam Stockmaster, president of TM Development, during the news conference.
He recently opened Bracken Square, a 100 percent affordable housing unit on Sligo Avenue in Silver Spring. It took five years of applications and waiting for approvals before it opened.
“That’s a long time,” Stockmaster said.
He currently is working on another development on Nebel Street in Bethesda that took 65 days to be approved.
“That’s a 90% savings in time,” Stockmaster said.
Going from more than 1,500 days to 65 days “is just a remarkable change,” Friedson said.
This is needed, especially in a county whose rate of homelessness increased by 30%, said Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, the amendment’s lead sponsor.
“Our goal has always been to remove barriers,” she said. The amendment will incentivize construction that is not just for single families, she added.
Rob Breslaw, corporate real estate director with United Therapeutics in Silver Spring, said that “time is of the essence” at his company, estimated to be worth $2.3 billion. When a medical breakthrough is discovered and more space is needed to work on it, his company, which develops pharmaceutical therapies for life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases, can depend on Montgomery County to work with it, said Breslaw.
He said his company is working on “cutting edge technology,” like making human organs available to anyone in need, and wants to spend more time on health issues rather than zoning and building issues.
Yvonne Brooks-Little, a board member at the faith-based Action in Montgomery, said she is excited about the zoning updates and the vast majority of people her nonprofit surveyed called housing costs here out of reach.
These amendments will “move Montgomery County’s economy forward,” declared Angela Franco, president and CEO of Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.
