For more information contact Justin Arnold, [email protected], 202-448-8717

WASHINGTON (July 20, 2020) – Montgomery County’s Subdivision Staging Policy update must be bold, justified and clearly communicated to the public to reflect its role as supporting long-range development plans and removing impediments to community visions, according to a report released by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ULI is a global, multidisciplinary real estate organization whose work is driven by more than 45,000 members dedicated to responsible land use and building thriving communities.

The report is based on recommendations from a panel of land use and urban development experts, which virtually convened from April 27–29 through ULI’s Advisory Services program and was chaired by Glenda Hood, former mayor of Orlando. It has been assisting Montgomery County in updating its Subdivision Staging Policy (SSP), a tool used by the county to ensure that its essential public facilities, particularly schools and transportation systems, keep pace with development. The panel was sponsored by the Montgomery County Planning Department and included interviews with a variety of stakeholders in the community.

The panel recommended both immediate and long-term considerations for the county to consider, including:

• Working with Montgomery County Public Schools to simplify and better align the Annual School Test Guidelines;
• Shortening the five-year projecting timeline for moratorium thresholds; and
• Ensuring that policy is data-driven using demographics available to planners and policymakers, rather than relying on assumptions.

“Montgomery County must balance new development with the necessary infrastructure to support and sustain that development,” said Glenda Hood, panel chair and co-founder, TriSect, Orlando, Florida. “It has long been a leader for thoughtful planning practices and we believe that our peer review and recommendations will help it to further meet future needs while recognizing the shared values of residents and the development community.”

Hood was joined on the panel by Eric Fladager, planning manager, City of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas; Geoff Koski, president, Bleakly Advisory Group, Atlanta, Georgia; and Heather Worthington, principal, Worthington Advisors, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

“Montgomery Planning greatly appreciates the ULI panel’s insightful, innovative and practical recommendations, which will help guide drafting of the policy update,” said Jason Sartori, chief of the Planning Department’s Functional Planning and Policy Division. “Under pandemic conditions, the virtual Advisory Services panel ensured that we could reap the full benefits of the Advisory Services Program and the extensive expertise of a diverse panel in a timely manner.”

This panel is the first virtual Advisory Services panel (vASP), a new Advisory Services product created as a response to continuing ULI’s mission of creating vibrant, sustainable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The vASP is two-and-a-half day panel that convenes a multi-disciplinary panel of between four and six experts from across the United States who possess a range of professional backgrounds and use their collective skills to meet the needs of an identified land use or policy challenge.

For more than 70 years, ULI’s Advisory Services Program has assembled ULI members who are experts in the fields of real estate development and land use to advise communities facing complex urban development challenges. Past sponsors of ULI Advisory Services panels include federal, state, and local governments; regional councils of government; chambers of commerce; redevelopment agencies; private developers and property owners; community development organizations; lenders; groups focused on historic preservation; local nonprofits; environmental organizations and economic development authorities.

The full report and further information about the Advisory Services program can be found here.

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 45,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information on ULI, please visit uli.org  or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.