Document Will Set Vision, Goals for Planning Areas, Neighborhoods
Rockville’s Planning Commission has begun its review of neighborhood-specific sections of the comprehensive plan. This work will guide neighborhood, or planning area, policies and projects throughout the next two decades.
The second component of the City of Rockville’s Comprehensive Plan update, “Volume II: Planning Areas,” was delivered in December to the city’s Planning Commission for its review. Rockville’s Comprehensive Plan sets a vision and goals for the future of the city, with practical policies and actions to achieve those goals.
Volume II consists of policy recommendations and recommended city projects for each of the city’s 17 geographic planning areas. These recommendations build on citywide policies of the draft “Volume I: Elements” — which the Planning Commission reviewed over the past year — by focusing on issues and opportunities unique to each planning area.
The commission’s review began by considering three planning areas in Rockville: Hungerford; Woodley Gardens; and Potomac Woods. The commission also discussed a schedule to review remaining planning areas through the month of January and February.
Both draft volumes derive from feedback gathered throughout the Rockville 2040 process, which included numerous listening sessions, citywide forums, open houses and other meetings, as well as analysis and discussion with the Planning Commission.
Once the initial staff draft plan is approved by the Planning Commission for formal release, the city will hold interactive sessions so community members can learn more about its contents. The commission will also open the record for written testimony and set public hearing dates for this spring.
When public hearings are complete, the Planning Commission will hold work sessions to revise the plan based on that input. It will then submit both volumes of the revised draft plan (elements and planning areas) to the Mayor and Council for review and action. The Mayor and Council are charged with approving and adopting the plan, once they have developed a final version.
For more information, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/Rockville2040 or contact comprehensive planning manager Cindy Kebba at ckebba@rockvillemd.gov or 240-314-8233.