The opportunity to provide written testimony on the city’s draft comprehensive plan will end when the public record closes at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, the City of Rockville’s Planning Commission announced at their final public hearing Tuesday evening.
Once the public record closes for written testimony, the Planning Commission will hold a series of work sessions to revise the plan, based on testimony received from the community.
Work sessions will begin Wednesday, June 26. The Planning Commission has scheduled additional work sessions on July 10, July 24, and Aug. 7. Other dates may be added, as needed. Once the Planning Commission has approved a plan, the document will be sent to the Mayor and Council to begin its review, which will also include opportunity for public comment.
The draft comprehensive plan is based on four years of feedback from the community, derived through numerous listening sessions, citywide forums, open houses and other meetings. The last citywide Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2002; it since has been updated by the adoption of several neighborhood plans and other amendments.
The Planning Commission is currently considering the first portion of the draft plan comprises the elements: individual chapters on 10 broad citywide topic areas, including land use, transportation, recreation and parks, community facilities, environment, water resources, economic development, housing, historic preservation, and municipal growth. The draft also includes a vision statement and key principles that provide the foundation for policy statements in each element.
The second portion of the draft plan consists of the Planning Areas, which involve smaller portions of the city. The second portion will be released in the fall for community comment.
Written testimony may be submitted in the following ways through June 18: Email [email protected]; complete the online comment form; or by mail to the Rockville Planning Commission, c/o Cindy Kebba, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.
For more information or to view the plan, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/Rockville2040 or contact planner Cindy Kebba at 240-314-8233. A hard copy of the plan is available to view at City Hall, Rockville Senior Center, and the Twinbrook, Lincoln Park and Thomas Farm community centers.