Dear Friends,
Earlier today, the Supreme Court made rulings on several key cases both of which are extremely troubling. You can read my statements on them here: Mahmoud v. Taylor and Trump v. CASA, INC.
Celebrating 195 New Affordable Housing Units at Allium Place
This week, we marked a major milestone in our efforts to tackle the affordable housing crisis with the opening of Allium Place which is located just off Viers Mill and Randolph Roads near Wheaton.
When I became County Executive, I set out to put unused and underused public land to better use—and housing was at the top of the list. This six-acre County-owned site has now been transformed into one of the most impactful affordable housing communities Montgomery County has ever built. Here are photos from the ceremony and video of my comments.
Allium Place includes 195 homes: apartments, condominiums, and single-family houses with a full range of sizes—including 64 three-bedroom and nine four-bedroom units, which are rarely produced but deeply needed by families. These homes are affordable to people across a range of incomes, with 25 units priced for households earning less than 30% of the area median income. This is what housing looks like when it’s shaped by community needs.
By partnering with AHC and Habitat for Humanity the County invested $25 million from our Housing Initiative Fund, along with the public land. The project includes on-site childcare, a public park, and free high-speed internet for low-income residents. This project embodies the kind of housing work we need more of—deeply affordable, family-friendly, and rooted in community.
Allium Place is part of a growing pipeline of impactful projects in the County that we have been working on: The Chimes in North Bethesda, Hillandale Gateway in East County, and preservation projects in Bethesda and Wheaton. This project demonstrates how local government can lead with purpose and produce the kind of housing that markets alone are not delivering.
This kind of work doesn’t happen by accident. It requires vision, leadership, and persistence. We’ve committed over $180 million in this year’s budget to support housing production, preservation, and homeownership. These policies and projects represent years of effort and a commitment to treat housing as a human right.
Allium Place is not just a building—it is a reflection of our values, our vision, and our commitment to the families who make Montgomery County strong.
We will keep building on this progress. Together.
Zoning Text Amendment that Changes Single-Family Communities Being Considered by County Council
While the opening of Allium Place is great news, I want to draw attention to something that is very concerning Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-02, part of what’s been called the “More Housing NOW” package.
The stated goal of the “More Housing NOW” package is to create more homes that are affordable to middle-income workers, teachers, police officers, healthcare workers and others. That would be a great thing, but there is no guarantee that this ZTA does that. ZTA 25-02 would allow multi-family buildings—duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, even small apartment buildings—in more than 25 corridors currently zoned for single-family homes. That’s a major change to neighborhoods across the County.
These plans contradict what the council promised when it passed Thrive 2050, the General Plan. Thrive was supposed to be a guide, not a way to implement widescale zoning changes through ZTAs. Residents were told that Thrive was an overview, not a prescription, for what and where changes should be made.
The Council and the Planning Board told residents that actual changes would still follow the master plan process that has existed for decades. It requires community involvement and analysis of impacts on schools, traffic and the environment. In the master plan process, residents, businesses and staff all sit on master plan committees, discuss these complex issues and vote on recommendations that would go to the Council.
Now, major changes are being proposed via ZTA, where the only input residents are allowed are a few minutes of public comment. Our residents have basically been cut out of the decision making that directly impacts the communities they live in. This rezoning process offers no meaningful input about the direction of our community; we are left with decisions based on Planning Board analysis that single-family homes are bad, and our County should become more urbanized.
Of all the master plans completed over many years, neither the Planning Board nor the Council ever undid the nature of County neighborhoods. Homeowners give a lot of thought to where they choose to live. They rely on master plans for certainty. It is as if your input in shaping your community is no longer welcome.
These proposed changes are unprecedented. Between this proposal and the two other pending zoning measures, the ability to rely on the integrity of master plans is gone, and residents are not assured a place at the table when Planning and Council decide that your neighborhood should change.
Thanks to our existing master plans, Montgomery County already has zoning capacity for over 85,000 housing units, on top of 34,000 already in the development pipeline. Those numbers come from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
So, if the zoning is already in place and there are so many approved but unbuilt units, why are they not being built? There is a direct correlation between the lack of employment growth and stalled housing. Jobs drive housing demand. People need work before they buy or rent, and that work typically shapes where people choose to live.
Review of the existing, unused zoned capacity should happen first so we can determine whether and what type of changes are needed. This review should be done master plan by master plan, beginning with the master plans that have the most unused capacity.
We don’t need more zoning changes to create more housing; we need more affordable housing rather than focusing on high-end housing that serves a smaller portion of the population.
This ZTA doesn’t guarantee affordability. In fact, it could make things worse by encouraging the demolition of more modestly priced homes and replacing them with expensive new units. Even Planning’s own study shows that replacement units will cost more than the ones they replace. And developers can evade any requirement to build affordable units by simply building two houses on an existing single-family lot, rather than three units.
As I mentioned earlier, this ZTA sidesteps the master planning process. It throws out the idea of community engagement and planning for infrastructure like schools, roads, stormwater and sewer capacity.
I’m also concerned about the Workforce Housing Program this ZTA relies on. It hasn’t worked well. Since it began years ago, only 110 for-sale units have been created, and almost half of them are no longer affordable. On the rental side, most Workforce Housing units end up renting at close to market rate.
Before we expand this program, it must be fixed. Our Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) is studying how to revamp Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDU) program to address affordability limitations. I have asked the Council to delay any final consideration of ZTA 25-02 tied to Workforce Housing until after these changes have been reviewed.
The ZTA passed the Planning, Housing and Parks Committee earlier this week and is now before the full Council. Let your Councilmember know how you feel, and you can ask them to return to the master planning process rather than passing the ZTA. I know there’s frustration about housing costs. But that’s exactly why we need real solutions, not zoning changes that offer the mirage of progress. This is simply another giveaway to developers, particularly townhouse developers who see these neighborhoods as ideal locations to build townhouses by clearing out single-family homes. And Park and Planning explained in their market study that new “missing middle” units are more expensive than the single-family housing they replace.
This ZTA and the way it was done break our master plans and turn them into a charade while facing very little public scrutiny. Remember, we’re not just planning buildings—we’re planning for people, and that should always come first.
New Laws Take Effect July 1
July 1 marks the start of the new fiscal year and the implementation of several new County and State laws.
Beginning next Tuesday, gas-powered leaf blowers will not be legal in Montgomery County. We banned their sale last year, and now this is the next step of the law.
This ban is a step toward cleaner air and quieter neighborhoods. I do not support the amendment being considered by the Council to carve out an exemption for landscaping companies. Battery-powered alternatives are now reliable and affordable.
We have several reasons for enacting this ban. Gas-powered leaf blowers are noisy and create pollutants that contribute to the carbon emissions that heat our atmosphere and make it more difficult to breathe. By adopting electric leaf blowers, we are all playing an active role in reducing harmful air emissions, lessening our dependence on fossil fuels and getting away from a device that contributes to hearing loss, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
On my media briefing this week, I was joined by Mary Travaglini, a program manager overseeing landscape programs for the Department of Environmental Protection. She is currently conducting outreach training to landscapers by request.
In her update to the media, Mary said emissions created by one hour of gas-powered leaf blower use are equivalent to a car trip from Washington, D.C. to Miami. That’s harmful to everyone, including the more than 6,000 landscape workers in the County.
Visit montgomerycountymd.gov/leafblowers for information on how to apply for limited rebate funds to purchase an electric leaf blower and to report violations once the law is in effect.
In Montgomery County, the minimum wage will rise to:
- $17.65/hour for businesses with 51+ employees
- $16.00/hour for businesses with 11–50 employees
- $15.50/hour for businesses with 10 or fewer employees
Also starting next week across Maryland:
- Increase penalties for dangerous driving, including the Sgt. Patrick Kepp Act to address the reckless speeding that we’re seeing
- Expand speed camera use in road work zones
- Allow expungement of some criminal records tied to minor drug possession
- Require insurers to cover hearing aids for adults
- Make telehealth coverage permanent
- Protect gender-affirming healthcare
- Offer the GED in Spanish
- Increase certain sales taxes, including on vending snacks, IT services and tobacco/cannabis products
Impacts of Dangerous Weather
This week’s heat was intense and there is more on the way this weekend. Even the overnight temperatures did not bring much relief, so I hope you and all your friends and loved ones are doing well. I want to remind you that County buildings like libraries and senior centers are open during regular hours if you need to cool off.
I want to thank our Department of Recreation for supporting both our summer camps and residents needing air conditioning. Our pools have been busy, and staff have done a great job under tough conditions. I also want to thank our Department of Transportation for handing out free water to bus riders.
And nearly 50 people stepped up within hours to help our Animal Services and Adoption Center during their A/C repairs—we found temporary homes for the animals that were most affected by the heat, especially those with medical issues. More people showed up the next day.
Even as we get a break from the extreme heat, please watch for signs of heat illness—cramps, dizziness, or headaches mean it’s time to take a break. If someone faints, breathes rapidly, or has a weak pulse, get medical help immediately. If you are worried about someone living outside in this heat, you can call (240) 907-2688 to get them some help.
Last year, 27 Marylanders died from heat-related illnesses, including a Baltimore City sanitation worker who died on the job. Last fall, the Maryland Department of Labor issued new workplace safety regulations requiring employers to act when the heat index exceeds 90 or 100 degrees. That includes providing water, shade and breaks.
We’re monitoring the health of our outdoor workers, and I want to thank all the County employees out there doing critical work, rain or shine. Just last Thursday, after wicked storms passed through, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation received more than 170 reports of downed trees and debris, and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service responded to trees falling on homes and cars. Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported.
As we move deeper into summer, I encourage you to sign up for Alert Montgomery to stay informed about severe weather and traffic impacts. It provides immediate emergency notifications about bad weather directly to your cell phone via text, email or voicemail. The service can even keep you updated on when inclement weather cancels swim lessons, closes a pool or impacts fields across the County. You can check on athletic fields maintained by Montgomery Parks through its rainout page.
Pride in the Plaza This Weekend
Before we end June, we will come together as a community to close out Pride Month with Pride in the Plaza. It is happening this Sunday, June 29, from noon to 8 p.m. in Downtown Silver Spring.
At a time when the federal government is undermining LGBTQ+ rights and trying to erase history, we’re doing the opposite. We’re standing up, protecting our LGBTQ+ residents, and celebrating their role in our community.
I hope you can join the festivities and be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
Fourth of July Festivities
Many of us will have the opportunity to take a day or more off next weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, which marks our nation’s independence.
I want to remind everyone of the two County-sponsored shows that are free to the public. Germantown Glory will be on Friday, July 4, at the South Germantown Recreational Park, and Mid-County Sparkles will be Saturday, July 5, at Albert Einstein High School. Both events will feature live music ahead of fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Our community will also have other opportunities to enjoy fireworks starting this Saturday, June 28. The Department of Permitting provides a full list of permitted displays.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
