The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the Scope of Work and plan boundary for The Wheaton Plan: A Georgia Avenue Community Plan at its May 7 meeting, moving forward with a long-term planning process focused on downtown Wheaton.
The plan is intended to establish a new vision and set of recommendations for the area, with a focus on land use, zoning, urban design, housing, transportation, parks and open space, environmental resilience, historic preservation, economic conditions, and community facilities.
The approved master plan boundary covers approximately 1,000 acres centered on downtown Wheaton, including the area around Georgia Avenue, University Boulevard West, and Veirs Mill Road. The boundary also includes residential neighborhoods along Georgia Avenue within one mile of the Wheaton Metro Station, as well as select properties along University Boulevard west of Veirs Mill Road.
Key properties within the boundary include Westfield Wheaton Mall, the Wheaton M-NCPPC Headquarters, the Wheaton Recreation Center and Library, the Wheaton Metro Station and bus loop, Marian Fryer Town Plaza, eight nearby parks, and Oakland Terrace Elementary School.
According to Montgomery Planning, the plan will build on recent efforts including the 2012 Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan, the 2023 Streetscape Standards, the 2023 Wheaton Downtown Study, and the 2025 Wheels in Wheaton event. The effort also responds to community calls for improved walkability, transportation safety, and connectivity.
The plan framework includes a focus on transformative development on large sites, mid- and small-scale mixed-use infill development, improved street connections near the Wheaton Station, potential changes to the station’s bus loop configuration, and adaptive reuse opportunities for existing commercial buildings.
Housing will also be a major part of the planning process. Montgomery Planning said the plan will consider a housing-production target of 3,200 to 3,700 new units by 2050 within the plan area. The plan will look at ways to add both market-rate and affordable housing, preserve existing market-rate affordable units, and explore housing opportunities on publicly owned properties, including Metro-adjacent sites and county-owned parking lots and garages.
Transportation analysis will focus on equity, safety, accessibility, and Vision Zero principles, while also coordinating with planned Bus Rapid Transit projects on Veirs Mill Road, University Boulevard, and Georgia Avenue. The plan will also evaluate walking, bicycling, transit, parking, street design, and connections to the Wheaton Station bus loop and Westfield Wheaton Mall.
The parks and open space portion of the plan will assess existing and proposed parks, trails, gathering areas, and recreation needs. Environmental recommendations will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, addressing urban heat, improving stormwater management, expanding tree canopy, and incorporating resilience features into Wheaton’s urban design.
Montgomery Planning has also launched the #WeAreWheaton community engagement campaign to hear from residents, businesses, workers, and visitors about their day-to-day experiences in Wheaton and what they see as the area’s biggest challenges and opportunities.
