A leafy liberal city has erupted into intense debate after plans were announced to allow denser multi-family housing in single-family neighborhoods.
Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, introduced a plan in June of this year to allow for denser housing in certain parts of the country.
The plan, called the Feasible Housing Strategies, hopes to allow duplexes, and in some cases triplexes and quadplexes, in areas limited to single-family homes.
It would also allow the construction of townhomes and small apartment buildings along major corridors and near transit interchanges.
Supporters say this is necessary to keep home prices from sliding further out of the reach of the middle class, but residents see it as a threat to their community.
Officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, introduced a plan in June of this year to allow for denser housing in certain parts of the country. Here is an aerial view of Takoma Park
The plan, called the Feasible Housing Strategies, hopes to allow duplexes, and in some cases triplexes and quadplexes, in areas limited to single-family homes.
Tensions came to a head last month after a packed meeting to discuss plans within Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.
The meeting, attended by The Washington Postconsisted largely of angry local residents who oppose the measure.
Opponents handed out “Press Pause to Montgomery County Re-Zoning” notices and fliers with images of Pinocchio on them, the outlet reported.
Instructions presented with the fictional character’s image as advice: “Raise this sign if you hear a lie from a government official.”
The school’s former PTA president Lyric Winik accused officials of pushing through the plans while dismissing locals’ concerns.
She raised points about how schools could become overcrowded, overtax utilities, make parking more difficult and ultimately change the character of the area.
In remarks that the outlet said were met with “thunderous applause,” she emphasized, “That’s why this room feels like a fight.
“If you as public servants do not change course, the question is not how can people live here, but why would anyone want to?”
Her concerns were raised by Council President Andrew Friedson, who reminded attendees that extensive public input would take place.
Local resident Maddie Kapur, who supports the move, said those opposed to it should consider others who cannot afford to live in the area.
She said: ‘I would also ask all my neighbors to really think about personal values, if you see yourself as someone who values justice and you are trying to keep people out of your community.’
Lyric Winik accused officials of pushing through the plans while dismissing locals’ concerns
An aerial view of Chevy Chase, in Montgomery County, a wealthy suburb on the outskirts of Washington, DC
The locals created a Press Break website with the headline “Do you love your MoCo neighborhood??? The County Council is about to change it… Forever
As she spoke, the outlet reported that she was harassed by another woman who yelled at her before she was then drowned out by cheers.
After this, a local man warned: ‘This is a radical change that will mean the death of single-family communities,’ which was welcomed by the public.
Supporters of the plan say Montgomery County has become unaffordable, with the average detached single-family home selling for about $1 million.
County Executive Marc Elrich has said he believes the plans are racist
By allowing developers to build a quadplex, they hope to increase housing supply and stem a shortage that would drive up prices.
Opponents say the plan will lower property values by reducing the desirability of the neighborhoods.
Steve Cohen, a retired naval architect, told the Washington Post: “It’s a real betrayal of the owner of a single-family home.
“It destabilizes the community and makes homeowners pay the price. Every homeowner has the basic expectation that there will be stability in house prices. This is going to destroy all that.”
County Planning Director Jason Sartori and County Executive Marc Elrich have both butted heads over the plans.
Elrich strongly opposes the idea, but does not oversee Sartori’s department and has no official position on whether it will be approved.
Sartori told the paper, “People are talking about what it’s going to do to their neighborhood: ‘Suddenly we have duplexes and triplexes.’
Supporters of the plan say Montgomery County has become unaffordable, with the average detached single-family home selling for about $1 million. Germantown can be seen here
“And you know, these neighborhoods already exist around us. And they don’t even realize it. And they would never describe these neighborhoods as undesirable.”
According to the local planning department, about 200 properties are demolished every year.
If a small portion of those are built in multiplexes instead of expensive homes worth millions, the province will maintain a flow of modestly priced homes.
County Planning Director Jason Sartori believes the move would help the county
Elrich said the development risks displacing lower-income residents of color.
He told the newspaper: “If I know I’m displacing people with a housing policy and I know they have nowhere to go, I’d say it’s quite racist.
“In my opinion, you have a bunch of New Urbanists who think this is a city and hate suburbs, and this is their opportunity to try to convert this into city-type density.”
As the debate heats up, a petition has been created by Jennifer Lavorel, who works with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
She launched the petition to “protect single-family zoning in Montgomery County. More than 1,500 signatures have been collected.
Others have created a Press Break website with the headline “Do you love your MoCo neighborhood??? The County Council is about to change it… Forever.”
Council President Friedson, who did not commit to the details of the plan, has hinted that the legislation the council ultimately votes on may not be as comprehensive as the recommendations initially put forward.
He told the outlet, “There’s a lot of room between doing nothing and doing everything the planning board recommended. I don’t think it’s easy to hear when people are shouting at each other.’