Montgomery Planning Board sets January hearings on Eastern Silver Spring plan | The Locally Times
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The board approved the draft plan on October 1 and scheduled public hearings for January 7 and January 14, 2027, in Wheaton and Silver Spring.
The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the first draft of the Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan at its October 1 meeting and accepted it as the Public Hearing Draft. The board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, scheduled two public hearings on the draft for Thursday, January 7 and Thursday, January 14, 2027. The plan covers future growth in Silver Spring neighborhoods east of Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park and south of the Capital Beltway. ## How can residents participate? The first hearing starts at 2 p.m. on January 7 during the board's regular weekly meeting in the Planning Board Auditorium at the Wheaton headquarters, 2425 Reedie Drive, with in-person or virtual testimony via Microsoft Teams. The second hearing starts at 6 p.m. on January 14 at the Long Branch Community Recreation Center, 8700 Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring, where only in-person testimony is permitted. Sign-ups to testify open Monday, December 7, and residents may sign up for only one hearing because duplicate testimony is not allowed. Written testimony will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on January 15 by email to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org or by mail to Chair Artie Harris at the Wheaton headquarters. ## What the record shows The Planning Department developed the draft plan, and the Public Hearing Draft is available in English and Spanish versions on the Planning Department's website. Both hearings will be livestreamed and made available on demand on the Planning Board's website, and all public testimony will be included in the official record. The October 2 announcement does not state how many housing units or other development the draft plan would allow.