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tonight's the public hearing for two bills in Montgomery County that would allow rent control *and* allow more types of homes near Red Line stations.
I'll start livetweeting at 7:30, but in the meantime, you can read about the bills here
https://ggwash.org/view/79872/two-bills-could-bring-rent-control-and-missing-middle-homes-to-montgomery-county
I'll start livetweeting at 7:30, but in the meantime, you can read about the bills here
https://ggwash.org/view/79872/two-bills-could-bring-rent-control-and-missing-middle-homes-to-montgomery-county
if youâre interested, you can watch the hearing on County Cable 6 or on the County Councilâs Facebook page here:
https://fb.watch/3BxO9ue1dw/
https://fb.watch/3BxO9ue1dw/
first up is Meredith Wellington, speaking for County Executive Marc Elrich, who "supports" missing middle housing but does not support the zoning bill bc new homes are too expensive: "We have already seen the outrageous cost of townhouses being built."
next up, Planning Board chair Casey Anderson, who "supports the thrust" of the bill, but pushes back on Elrich's argument about housing costs: "There is no doubt that missing middle housing will produce more affordable units."
now, Carolyn Greis from the Village of Chevy Chase, Section 3, which opposes the zoning bill: "we already struggle with stormwater management and parking problems," she says, and multifamily housing raises "compatibility concerns."
the mayors of Chevy Chase and Somerset also cite stormwater concerns and parking issues, and say zoning changes need to wait until after the countywide Thrive 2050 plan happens, which both towns also have concerns about https://ggwash.org/view/79780/moco-is-working-on-a-plan-to-tackle-racial-equity-public-health-and-climate-change
Joan Warren of the Woodside Civic Association "constructing apartment buildings in the middle of our single-family block has impacts on livability." This is what Woodside looks like. (I grew up in that big apartment building.)
Ellen Sands, also of Woodside, says talking about racial discrimination in housing is "divisive" and "keeping us apart." Bill Scanlan says Woodside is already "inclusive." (Again, I grew up across the street from Woodside, and would politely contest this)
here's a colorized redlining map from the 1930s, with many of the MoCo neighborhoods you'll hear from tonight labeled. The green areas were allowed access to government-backed loans, the red areas generally were not (from https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=34603bd48c9f496fa2750a770f655013)
Next up, Ryan Hardy of downtown Silver Spring who loves his neighborhood and supports the zoning bill: "I want to ensure more residents have access to this."
as someone who grew up in apartments and townhomes and lives in a townhome now it is honestly hurtful to hear people talk about my house like it's a form of blight https://twitter.com/KLucasMcKay/status/1360028431736520708?s=20
Jane Lyons speaking on behalf of @betterDCregion, which supports rent control with a slightly higher rent cap, and the Planning Board's recommendations to actually allow even more missing middle housing https://montgomeryplanning.org/montgomery-planning-board-votes-to-send-comments-to-county-council-on-missing-middle-housing-zoning-text-amendment/
https://montgomeryplanning.org/montgomery-planning-board-votes-to-send-comments-to-county-council-on-missing-middle-housing-zoning-text-amendment/
Liz Brent of Silver Spring, broker: "for those opposed to multifamily [housing]...you cannot tell yourself that youâre fighting for affordable homes. you are not. you are fighting for these homes to be expanded and resold for prices that are much higher than weâve seen."
Seth Grimes, Takoma Park: âthese are objections of people who are afraid of progressâŚwe would like to see racial and economic diversity in our neighborhoods. ZTA 20-07 brings us closer to these goals.â
this hearing is going too fast (the County Council reduced the time limit from 3 minutes to 2 due to the pandemic) and my hands hurt
my two cents on ZTA 20-07 and bill 52-20, and why it's time to dump MoCo's "look, but don't touch" neighborhoods
here comes @alg_alison, who supports the missing middle bill. "My only complaint is I want you to do the whole county!" (It only covers areas within 1 mile of the Red Line now.)
next up, Katie Nolan of downtown Silver Spring: "there aren't a lot of apartments that allow pets or are near transit or fit our budget...we need more housing in Montgomery County that people can actually afford."
now @adjinas of Four Corners, who supports the missing middie bill: "we should not let our downtowns be bordered by a wall of million-dollar mansions...let's be clear: this is gentrification. this is changing the character of our neighborhoods."
here's @graykimbrough, whose testimony is a longer version of this tweet (I'm trying to give my hands a rest lol) https://twitter.com/graykimbrough/status/1358791136807157761?s=20
next it's MCPS grad @aintthatZo testifying from her dorm room at Duke (one benefit of virtual public hearings): "Gen Z is scared...as we enter the workforce, affordable housing is key to unlocking places where we can shape our lives and our families."
here's Michael DeLong of Long Branch: "lots of people my age or even older want to live in MoCo but find house prices unaffordable...I'm originally from the Bay Area. we should learn from San Francisco's mistakes and prevent a housing crisis."
Gretchen Goldman of Takoma Park supports the missing middle bill: "we need to walk the walk on the values we proclaim to have. that includes claiming we're concerned about racial equity and climate change."
Mark Clements: "these are urban edge cities on the edge of DC. they do not exist in a bubble...younger and less wealthy people should not be stuck in a permanent renter class to maintain these delusions" that places like Silver Spring are still suburbia
Sarah Reddinger, Habitat for Humanity: "single-family zoning created communities segregated by income and race. it's imperative we dismantle segregation and ensure access to all neighborhoods."
this is what Habitat could build in MoCo, but for zoning https://twitter.com/justupthepike/status/1336773423872286722?s=20
this is what Habitat could build in MoCo, but for zoning
https://twitter.com/justupthepike/status/1336773423872286722?s=20
next up @KLucasMcKay, Woodside resident & housing expert: "I am disappointed and hurt that my Woodside neighbors say they don't want people like me and my wife living in our townhome."
I did not expect this public hearing to be the Woodside Show, but here you go. Michael Bodaken of Woodside Park: "this zoning amendment is not a panacea, but it is necessary...single-family zoning stands in the way of affordability and diversity."
is this a crossover episode with the MCPS School Boundary Analysis? Ian Roosma of Bethesda worries that more population density will impact "the quality of our kids' education." this might be the first time we heard about schools tonight, which is surprising
William Chernicoff of Silver Spring opposes the bill bc a large house is different from an apartment building: âthe first case accommodates one family, the second case accommodates four" and causes "durable damage to the well-being of existing communities."
Mary Kolar of Montgomery Housing Alliance supports the bill and suggests an "affordability bonus" to allow greater density for subsidized homes, sort of like Portland's missing middle bill that they passed last year https://www.sightline.org/2020/08/11/on-wednesday-portland-will-pass-the-best-low-density-zoning-reform-in-us-history/
A number of bill opponents keep saying the Planning Board opposes the missing middle bill, but the board actually recommended expanding it to more areas 
https://montgomeryplanning.org/montgomery-planning-board-votes-to-send-comments-to-county-council-on-missing-middle-housing-zoning-text-amendment/
https://montgomeryplanning.org/montgomery-planning-board-votes-to-send-comments-to-county-council-on-missing-middle-housing-zoning-text-amendment/
Stu Simon of Chevy Chase: âI moved to a townhouse because I could walk and bike to everything. This same opportunity should be afforded to people of all income levels," adding that this is crucial for tackling climate change
Jeff Weisner of @350MoCo, which supports the bill because zoning is one thing MoCo has total control over: "We should make sure that our land use policy is aligned with our climate goals. 20-07 would advance our climate goals and should be approved."
East Bethesda Citizens' Association opposes the bill. Locust Hill Citizens' Association says they can't have "unrestricted development of apartment buildings" because their neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks, which it sounds like you could fix
so many white people this evening talking about how they support diversity, but. there's always a but. I know it can come from a good place but it is so frustrating to hear
next up is someone from Naval Activity Support Bethesda (the naval base that contains Walter Reed), who just wants the county not to change the zoning on any lots that border military property. that's it.
the Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights says that allowing more types of housing will cause neighbors to fight over street parking and all I can think of is
two hours in and we're finally moving on to testimony about bill 52-20, which would institute rent control in Montgomery County. my partner is home from work and I'm going to bed soon, I'm sorry 
