Gaithersburg

Per Montgomery County: The Paws in the Park Dogwalk and Festival will return to Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm in Gaithersburg from noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. After a three-year hiatus during the COVID-19 health crisis, the Montgomery County Humane Society will hold the event for the 22nd time to raise funds to help homeless cats and dogs. Bohrer Park is located at 506 South Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. Pets, dog owners and families will be able to enjoy a one-mile dog walk, an agility competition, contests and games. There will be music, prizes, vendors, food available for purchase and kids activities.

Registration is now open. To register and for more information, go to https://www.mchumane.org/paws-in-the-park-2023.

The Housing Element public hearing draft has been released by the City of Gaithersburg for public comment and can be viewed here. Comments on the public hearing draft may be submitted in writing to the Planning & Code Administration, 31 S. Summit Ave. Gaithersburg MD, 20877, or by email to [email protected]. A joint public hearing is anticipated for June 5, 2023. To ensure that your comments will be included in the public hearing materials packet for consideration by the Council and Planning Commission, please submit them no later than May 9, 2023.

Background: Land Use Article of the Maryland Annotated Code requires municipalities to adopt a comprehensive, or “master” plan composed of various elements, such as Land Use and Transportation, which are intended to guide future growth and development of the City.  In 2019, the State legislature passed HB 1045 requiring all master plans to include a new Housing Element. This new Element is required at a minimum to address the need for affordable housing, including both workforce and low-income housing. The Element may also discuss other facets of housing. The City, over the next several months, will begin working on this new Housing Element, which will include goals and recommendations meant to address future housing needs in the City. Please continue to check this project page for background information, status updates, and engagement opportunities.

The Applicant, WRS, Inc., submitted Zoning Map Amendment application Z-9444-2022 that proposes to rezone the Lakeforest Mall from the current C-2 (general commercial) to the MXD Zone (mixed-use) zone. The application includes a sketch plan requesting up to approximately 1.2 million square feet of non-residential uses and up to 1,600 dwelling units on 102 acres of land in accordance with § 24-160D.9(a) “Application for the MXD Zone and sketch plan approval” of the City Code.

The Joint Public Hearing was conducted on January 17, 2023. The Planning Commission record closed 5 p.m. Friday, February 17, 2023. The Planning Commission gave a recommendation of approval on March 1, 2023. The Mayor & City Council hold their record open until 5 p.m. Friday, March 10, 2023 with Policy Discussion April 17, 2023. No public testimony will be taken on April 17. Any questions or comments on the application should be directed to the Planning Department at [email protected] or 301-258-6330.

Through a collaborative process involving elected officials, employees, and stakeholders throughout the community, the Strategic Plan was designed to reflect the City’s collective long-term goals and the actions needed in order to achieve them. Each Outcome Area consists of one or more actionable strategies that reflect numerous activities, programs and projects that are carried out across all City departments. View the current Plan here.