Zoning Recommendations Update No. 1: Attainable Housing Strategies

On April 11, the County Planning Department collaborated with the Planning Board in a work session aimed at discussing strategies to increase the housing supply and broaden housing options across the county. The focus of this session was medium-scale attainable housing, which would be 3-4 story stacked flats, small apartment buildings, and townhouses. 

Key points discussed included:

-- Medium-scale attainable housing developments would be located along designated growth corridors, which for the Town are lots along Connecticut Avenue and potentially lots adjacent to them. 

-- Development would be permissible through the proposed Attainable Housing Optional Method (AHOM) and potentially be subject to the County and Town’s regulatory review process, including public input.

-- To increase financial attainability, projects developed using AHOM would have an average unit size of  1,500 square feet or less. 

-- The maximum number of units per acre would be capped at 13 unless the average unit size falls below 1,500 square feet, in which case, additional density would be considered. For example, a 20% decrease in average unit size (~1,200 square feet) would result in allowing 20 units per acre to be developed.

-- AHOM projects would provide common open space equal to 10% of the site area. 

-- For projects with no front street parking, which is applicable to Connecticut Avenue, required parking spots per unit would be reduced by 50% to 1 space per unit.

The next work session is scheduled for April 25, and it will focus on small-scale attainable housing, which includes the construction by right of:

-- Duplexes and triplexes in all single-family neighborhoods, including the Town,  except in the Agricultural Reserve and rural neighborhoods.

-- Quadplexes in neighborhoods, including the Town, within 1 mile of a Metro or Purple Line station.   

Further updates from the Town will be provided as they become available. Residents are encouraged to send comments to the Town at townoffice@townofchevychase.org or to the Planning Board at MCP-Chair@mncppc-mc.org. Comments received by noon on the day before a Planning Board meeting become part of the public record.