Rockville Schedules Public Hearings to Review Draft Comprehensive Master Plan

As part of Rockville 2040, the Rockville Planning Commission will hold information sessions and public hearings on the draft comprehensive plan.

Rockville 2040, the city’s initiative to update the 2002 comprehensive master plan, began with a kickoff meeting May 2015. Since that time, the city held listening sessions, citywide forums, open houses and other meetings. The draft comprehensive plan is based on feedback from those events.

The major goals for the new plan include preserving and improving quality of life in Rockville by guiding development and conservation, and ensuring that the city can continue to provide high-quality community facilities.

The first portion of the draft plan comprises the following elements: individual chapters on 10 broad citywide topic areas, including land use, transportation, recreation and parks, community facilities, environment, water resources, economic development, housing, historic preservation and municipal growth. The draft also includes a vision statement and key principles that provide the foundation for policy statements in each element.

The schedule for the public hearings at City Hall in the Mayor and Council chambers at 7 p.m.:

• Wednesday, May 15
• Wednesday, May 22
• Tuesday, June 4

The city will hold public information sessions to explain the draft plan and answer questions on the plan and the process.

The information sessions will be held at City Hall:

• Tuesday, April 30 from 6:30-9 p.m.
• Saturday, May 11 from 9:30 a.m.-noon

Work Sessions Follow Public Hearings

The Planning Commission will hold a series of work sessions to revise the plan.

The commission will then turn to the second part of the draft plan, the planning areas. This portion will address neighborhood planning issues and include policies that are location specific. A similar public testimony and work session process will follow.

At the completion of the Planning Commission process, the draft plan will be sent to the Mayor and Council who will then begin their own review, which will also include public hearings.

The plan is available online, at www.rockvillemd.gov/Rockville2040. A hard copy of the plan is available to read at City Hall, Rockville Senior Center, and the Twinbrook, Lincoln Park and Thomas Farm community centers.

Residents may submit written testimony by mail or email.
Mail to: City of Rockville Planning Commission, c/o Cindy Kebba, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.
Email to: planning.commission@rockvillemd.gov.

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