Montgomery Planning Invites Community to Attend Visioning Workshops for the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan

Community members are invited to attend in-person and virtual events in June and July to share ideas for the future of the plan area

WHEATON, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department announced the launch of the Visioning Phase of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan. The community is invited to attend virtual and in-person events to share ideas for the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney plan area. This phase will kick off with a virtual Visioning Workshop on June 27.

Each Visioning Workshop will include a presentation of the equitable engagement efforts to date, followed by a discussion facilitated by Story Tapestries on the community’s vision. The feedback and ideas collected during the Visioning Workshops will inform Montgomery Planning’s preliminary recommendations for the master plan. The Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan will update a portion of the 1997 Fairland Master Plan by identifying goals, policies, and strategies to address community challenges, with a focus on a portion of the US 29 corridor between the Paint Branch stream valley and Greencastle Road.

We invite anyone who is interested in the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities to attend our Visioning Workshops,” said project co-lead Molline Jackson. “We look forward to learning and sharing with residents and business owners on discovering the community vision for the future.”

There are two virtual and four in-person Visioning Workshops scheduled. RSVPs are required unless otherwise stated. Please provide at least 10 business days’ notice for ADA or language translation assistance. Virtual sessions will be recorded and posted on the plan’s website.

Also, the community is invited to attend the fourth Community Pop-up Event on Sunday, June 5 at the Briggs Chaney Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will be the last in a series of pop-up events to informally engage with the community on a one-to-one basis before the Visioning Workshops.

Virtual Fairland and Briggs Chaney Visioning Workshops

Join Montgomery Planning via Zoom from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on June 27 and July 19 to discuss the master plan update and share your ideas and recommendations for the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities through a series of interactive activities.

Monday, June 27

Tuesday, July 19

In-Person Fairland and Briggs Chaney Visioning Workshops

The community is invited to share ideas and feedback in-person on July 6, 14, 22, and 24 to help envision the future of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities. Each meeting will include a recap of community feedback heard at prior Visioning Workshops. While three of the in-person meetings will be facilitated by Story Tapestries through a series of engaging small group activities that focus on a specific part of the Fairland-Briggs Chaney Master Plan area, ideas for the entire area are welcome at every meeting.  Additionally, community members are invited to share their ideas with the master plan team at a family-friendly community event on July 22 at Fairland Recreational Park.

Wednesday, July 6 – Meet at the Seventh Day Adventist Headquarters (12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD) from 6 to 8 p.m. The conversation will focus on the southern portion of the master plan area.

Thursday, July 14 – Meet at the Greencastle Lakes Community Center (3661 Turbridge Drive, Burtonsville, MD) from 6 to 8 p.m. The conversation will focus on the northern portion of the master plan area.

Friday, July 22 – Meet Montgomery Parks and Planning staff and other community partners for this fun and engaging, family-friendly community event at the M-NCPPC Fairland Recreational Park (3928 Greencastle Road, Burtonsville, MD) in the north lot from 5 to 8 p.m. Food, music, and entertainment will be provided. Participants are encouraged to share ideas on the future of parks and recreation in the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities, meet community partners from across the county, and grab some free treats. (No RSVP required, community members are invited to stop by between 5 and 8 p.m.)

Sunday, July 24 – Meet at the East County Community Recreation Center (3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring, MD) from 2 to 4 p.m. for the last in-person Visioning Workshops with Story Tapestries. The conversation will focus on the central portion of the master plan area.

Community members who register for these events will receive a reminder 48 hours before the event with a request to let Montgomery Planning know if they can no longer attend.

Learn more about what to expect at the Visioning Workshops with the FAQs section of the plan’s webpage.

The Visioning Workshops follow the presentation on April 21, 2022 to the Montgomery County Planning Board, and a virtual community presentation on April 19, on the Existing Conditions Report, which documents the community assets and existing physical conditions of the plan area including transportation infrastructure, parks, schools, housing, business and environmental conditions. The report follows months of community engagement including meetings, canvassing local businesses, a pedestrian audit, and community pop-up events. Learn more about the engagement activities of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Planning team.

The Working Draft of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan will be presented to the Planning Board in Fall 2022. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing for the plan in late 2022 or early 2023. Montgomery Planning anticipates transmitting the Planning Board Draft plan to the County Council for review and approval by the Spring of 2023.

Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival

The community is invited to a virtual kickoff meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 1 at 6 p.m. via Microsoft Teams to launch the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival effort. The placemaking festival will culminate with a free, community-led event scheduled for October 21 and October 22. RSVPs are required to attend the kickoff meeting. Please make any requests for accessibility or translation accommodations for the meeting by May 23. RSVP for the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking kickoff meeting. During the kickoff event, community members will be asked for ideas and feedback on how to temporarily transform the Park and Ride area into a fun and inviting place for residents to visit. The festival team also invites community members to later volunteer to help create the temporary public open space.

Additional ways to get involved

• Sign-up for the Fairland and Briggs Chaney E-Letter
• Review the Scope of Work report, Community Engagement report and the Existing Conditions
• Attend the virtual Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival Kickoff Meeting on June 1.
• Attend the fourth Community Pop-up Event on Sunday, June 5 at the Briggs Chaney Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will be the last in a series of pop-up events to informally engage with the community on a one-to-one basis before the Visioning Workshops.
• Request a meeting and/or send your comments directly to the plan’s co-project managers: [email protected] and [email protected]

Equitable approach to planning

Equity is a foundational goal of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan, and racial equity and social justice is an essential theme throughout the planning process. Montgomery Planning is making every effort to understand the historical context and current experience of inequity within the plan area. Community engagement efforts are designed to meet people ‘where they are’ in the community and to provide welcoming, accessible, inclusive, and safe environments in which to learn about the master plan and offer meaningful input in the process. As a complement to the planning process Montgomery Planning is also striving to develop a stronger social network that embraces the advantages of a multi-racial and multi-cultural community.

About the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan

The Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan is an update to a portion of the 1997 Fairland Master Plan and will establish a clear vision for an equitable, just, and prosperous future for the Fairland community, mirroring the county’s long-term priorities, which include a vibrant economy, equity for all residents, and a healthy environment. The master plan boundary consists primarily of property and communities of Fairland and Briggs Chaney along the US 29 Corridor from near Paint Branch on the south to Greencastle Road on the north. The update will examine and provide policies and recommendations on existing and future land uses and zoning, housing inventory and needs, transportation systems, historic preservation opportunities, area park facilities, and the environment. This master plan will take cues from the equity framework in the update to the county’s General Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, which describes how places with equitable access to opportunity produce strong, successful communities. Goals of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan include:

• Complete Community: Identify and correct past inequitable development policies to make the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities more whole and connected by integrating centers of housing, retail, and office development with parks and open space to make 15-minute living a reality for as many people as possible.
• Resilient Economy: Promote economic development and job growth within the plan area and surrounding communities.
• Housing: Promote racial and economic diversity and equity in housing to help rectify past discriminatory housing policies in every neighborhood.
• Arts, Culture and Environment: Support arts and cultural institutions, through parks, open space and environment, recreational programming, and development, to celebrate our diversity, strengthen pride of place, and make the county more attractive and interesting.
• Corridor Growth and Connectivity: Promote and prioritize public and private investment along the Route 29 corridor and neighboring communities to leverage and attract future private investment in community facilities and redevelopment, including a safer, more comfortable network for walking, biking, and rolling that connects the corridor communities.