County Council Vice President Will Jawando and Councilmember Kristin Mink have spoken out against an attainable housing plan from the planning board that would make zoning changes for homes.
Planners recommend zoning changes that would allow duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and small apartment buildings in single-family zoned areas, according to the planning department.
“It recommends sweeping changes to zoning that could affect large parts of Montgomery County,” Jawando said in a written statement Tuesday. “After studying the [Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative] recommendations in detail, and hearing the outpouring of concern from the community regarding the recommendations – through listening sessions, correspondence, neighborhood visits, and one-on-one conversations all around the County – I believe we should pause consideration of these recommendations at this time.”
Jawando said residents “have raised thoughtful concerns” about how the changes could affect overburdened schools, infrastructure, utilities, and environment.
In a statement Friday, Mink said “residents in District 5 and across the County have raised deep concerns, including significant doubts that the zoning changes would even produce housing at the affordability levels we most need.”
“We should be prioritizing high-yield strategies that can earn the support of our communities,” Mink stated, such as the Housing Production Fund, which she said is helping fund mixed-income projects in the county.
Featured photos via Montgomery County Council
