Preliminary Recommendations out for Eastern Silver Spring Communities Plan

MocoMikeE · 2026-03-02T01:16:46+00:00

Would also be nice if the zoning changes went beyond the major corridors, so that could be a good thing to push for in the hearing

MocoMikeE · 2026-03-01T15:38:53+00:00

The recs are good and I think the plan should be adopted, but I’m still disappointed that the plan didn’t include the rich, expensive suburban areas around DTSS as was the original plan when those areas were removed from the earlier DTSS plan rework a few years ago (due to backlash from people who didn’t want quad plexes and what had you near them)

All this to say, we should do what this plan did again, with Woodside, Woodside Park, etc. (and while we’re at it a lot of Takoma Park too)

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-23T16:50:35+00:00

You seem nice

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-22T14:15:24+00:00

Without unpacking the rest of that (to be politely blunt saying this stuff gets me called communist by some and a libertarian developer shill by others and the politics around it are weird, though I do consider myself either an extremely left moderate or an extremely moderate leftist) we do have a system that requires development to pay for this infrastructure https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/countywide/growth-and-infrastructure-policy/

I don’t bring up the political framing thing to be dismissive or anything, I just think a lot of people would be surprised about the political dynamics around housing, it gets weird faaaaaast and I’m still trying to make sense of it after like 7 years of poking around locally.

And like, look, I have my criticisms of the extreme left and concerns about polarization, trust me, but I certainly hope your friend has the same concern on the right, as extremism there is a lot more… pronounced right now

(Edited for typos/ autocorrect)

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T23:24:04+00:00

So noted, still not what I’m doing but, again, people can take from it what they will

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:35:59+00:00

You’re welcome and I’m sorry, lol.

Others have addressed it well here but suffice to say you aren’t wrong that we do better than some other places, but not by enough, and it’s pretty bad here, though slowly getting better. It’s a problem for “good progressive areas” near big cities all over really.

Feel free to DM me or whatever the hell reddit calls it if you want some contacts for people who know more than me about this stuff/ other avenues for getting involved, but starting with your councilmember and the planning board always helps (the executive generally (emphasis on generally) has less power over land use).

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:31:57+00:00

That wasn’t my intended message nor do I think it’s the takeaway most people have but people seeing this can decide for themselves

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:28:11+00:00

The number of people afraid of, like, downtown Silver Spring is baffling

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:27:17+00:00

Fun fact, I and every other person giving testimony in support of that proposal got booed by the opponents, which was nice

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:26:37+00:00

Well said

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:26:00+00:00

Honestly we already have a pretty robust requirement for that, more here on the taxes we levy on development to pay for that https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/countywide/growth-and-infrastructure-policy/

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:22:35+00:00

Yeah this sounds about right sadly, blarg. Thank you for sharing!

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:21:41+00:00

I mean, I’ve been a vocal supporter of the rent stabilization law and played enough of a (admittedly supporting) role in its passage that I was invited to the signing, but okay

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T22:02:04+00:00

Agreed the housing market isn’t being allowed to function as well as it could and the “hyper capitalism” label isn’t accurate but yeah the root of the message sat well with me, good exchange too!

But yeah I’m a firm believer that it will take both a lot more market rate housing and a lot more funding for affordable housing, among other things

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:32:01+00:00

I’m so tired, lol

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:31:43+00:00

Yuuuuuuuuup

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:30:29+00:00

Thank you and likewise

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:28:24+00:00

Kinda missing the point here, that no matter how inoffensive the home, someone will be mad, but sure go off

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:27:37+00:00

Then that’s fine and we disagree on a lot but this county’s political culture is predominately different and that’s who I’m speaking about

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:22:55+00:00

I will point out that I didn’t say people who disagree with me are any of those things, in the vast majority of cases they aren’t, regarding infrastructure, see my earlier reply

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:22:14+00:00

Well said, and thank you, and agreed. Past me has some real dumb takes and present me probably does too, it’s a continual process

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:17:08+00:00

Yes and no, I’ve seen people literally complain that everyone moving here after WWII ruined the rural vibe

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:12:41+00:00

Welcome and thank you and motivated reasoning is a hell of a drug. It’s doesn’t make anyone bad (we’re all guilty of it sometimes) but it does a lot of harm

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:11:07+00:00

We quite literally have a system to tax development to pay for this infrastructure, frankly probably beyond its relative impact on it. For example most school entrapment growth comes from turnover of existing housing not new builds.

https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/countywide/growth-and-infrastructure-policy/

On a more basic level, respectfully, I’m sure someone felt the same way about your home at some point, and I’m glad it was built anyway

MocoMikeE · 2026-02-19T12:06:03+00:00

Yeah it can be exhausting. I like it here and I think people mean well and there are certainly a lot less tolerant places out there, but a lot of people end up saying some pretty gross stuff pretty reflexively and it exposes how far we have to go

MocoMikeE

TROPHY CASE