The Silver Spring Penguin

The county council’s new president wants to put a temporary lid on development. But councilmembers from Silver Spring and Takoma Park question whether the county government can control market forces.

On Monday, Council Prez Marilyn Praisner called for a seven-month freeze on commercial and residential project applications so that the county planning board could review MoCo’s annual growth policy, the Washington Post reports. Praisner represents District 4, the eastern stretch of the county.

“I want to assure our residents that we have heard the call to moderate growth,” said Praisner in the Washington Business Journal.

Councilmember Phil Andrews, who cosponsored Praisner’s proposal at the televised council meeting, said that stronger growth-control measures were needed “to assure that whatever growth occurs doesn’t make our transportation problems worse.” Andrews represents Rockville, Gaithersburg and North Potomac in District 3.

Some members questioned the council’s ability to steer consumer demands. “Growth comes from where the market is,” said Councilmember Valerie Ervin, who represents Silver Spring in District 5. Ervin added that she had other concerns about Praisner’s proposal but did not disclose them immediately.

“Residential growth follows where people want to buy homes,” said Councilmember George Leventhal (at large and in charge). He added that a freeze on development may not treat what he called a perceived “growth emergency.”

“If we build a wall around Montgomery County, we will still have traffic,” Leventhal said.

The council will decide on Tuesday whether to move forward with the moratorium.

“New Council President Seeks Freeze on Projects” (Washington Post)
“Montgomery Calls ‘Time Out’ for New Development” (Washington Biz Journal)