The Montgomery County plan, known as Thrive 2050, would increase density, but some residents say it would hurt suburban neighborhoods and shortchange affordable housing.
. The board had unanimously approved the draft of Thrive sent to the council in April 2021.
Opponents say planners and council members have dismissed their concerns that too much dense development would strain schools, road capacity, fire and police protection and storm water management systems. Some say residents haven’t been able to focus on the potential problems while the plan has been hashed out during the pandemic.“I think there’s a rush to approve this plan to push the idea that the county is open for business,” Bowser said.
“What’s their solution?” Riemer said of the plan’s critics. “They want people to stop having children or put up a wall around the county? Thrive doesn’t cause growth to happen. It seeks to manage the growth that’s coming.”Some critics say county officials haven’t paid enough attention to other potential consequences of denser development, such as how it can price out some residents by driving up land values and property taxes.