From the Office of Council President Evan Glass (3.28.23): The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously today to reaffirm the appointment of Mr. James Hedrick to serve as a member on the Montgomery County Planning Board.
Mr. Hedrick was appointed by the Council to become a Planning Board member on Feb. 28, 2023. On March 24, the Council received notification from County Executive Marc Elrich on his decision to disapprove James Hedrick’s appointment to the Planning Board.
“The Council reaffirmed our support for Mr. Hedrick because his insight and housing expertise have served and will continue to serve our community well,” Council President Evan Glass said. “We remain confident in his ability to ably and effectively serve the County residents on the Planning Board.”
“The Planning Board is vital to the County’s functions and the strength of the board will be its diversity in opinion – no one candidate will meet all of our political views, nor should they,” continued Glass. “I continue to fully support Mr. Hedrick, who has already participated in three Planning Board meetings as a very engaged member. He has spent his career working in community development and affordable housing, and brings this experience to his work at the Planning Board.”
Nine votes were needed to reaffirm Mr. Hedrick’s position on the Planning Board. The Council acted swiftly and deliberately to discuss the County Executive’s decision, as Councilmembers remain focused on maintaining and supporting the essential work of the Planning Board.
The Montgomery County Planning Board serves as the Council’s principal adviser on land use and community planning. Planning Board members also serve as commissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Some of the Planning Board’s responsibilities include preparing and proposing amendments to the County’s General Plan, master plans, and functional plans, and preparing and making recommendations on text amendments to the Montgomery County Zoning Code.
The Planning Board also sits as the Park Commission. It is responsible for submitting the annual Parks Department operating budget and capital improvements program and deals with land acquisition contracts, major development contracts for parks, and development plans for individual park facilities.
The Council continues its recruitment for a new Planning Board chair and one additional planning board member. The application deadline is April 3 at 5 p.m. Learn more.
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