Why doesn't Montgomery County rezone Commercial Property to Housing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know many former MoCo middle and upper middle coworkers who have moved from to either Loudoun, Frederick, or Howard counties specifically because of the unbridled construction and density.

And I'm upper middle class and I moved to MoCo and not those other places in part because of the density. Random anecdotes aren't particularly helpful.

The united Van lines annual study found Maryland was in the top 10 of outbound migration

https://www.unitedvanlines.com/newsroom/movers-study-2020

Maryland inbound % 45% Maryland Outbound 55%

Top reasons to move - retirement and lifestyle

[Anonymous]

Because officials planning these things have a strong preference for commercial property? Commercial property - assuming it's utilized - generates tax revenue without requiring much city or county services. Residential property - especially townhouses - generate an initial sugar high of additional revenue, but tend to be filled with kids who require a lot of spending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of residential areas that could benefit from more housing also exist. So, why not both?

Why change residential areas when you do not need to change them?

Why assume that residential areas should remain unchanged?

Find a specific residential area you think needs changing and file a proposal. The proposal for the blanket change around metro stations is too broad of a brush and included no dedicated funding for new schools (many if not all of the schools close to metro stations are already at or over capacity).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because officials planning these things have a strong preference for commercial property? Commercial property - assuming it's utilized - generates tax revenue without requiring much city or county services. Residential property - especially townhouses - generate an initial sugar high of additional revenue, but tend to be filled with kids who require a lot of spending.

There is a huge quantities of commercial property in MoCo that is underutilized. Turn it into residential, whether apartment buildings, condos, townhouses, etc. Much of it already has some basic infrastructure in place. People then live there, generating income tax revenues, and provide more potential customers for the remaining retail space.

[Anonymous]

I'd love to see less townhouses and apartments and more retail spaces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd love to see less townhouses and apartments and more retail spaces.

I'd love to see more adult only shops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of residential areas that could benefit from more housing also exist. So, why not both?

Why change residential areas when you do not need to change them?

Why assume that residential areas should remain unchanged?

Find a specific residential area you think needs changing and file a proposal. The proposal for the blanket change around metro stations is too broad of a brush and included no dedicated funding for new schools (many if not all of the schools close to metro stations are already at or over capacity).

No, the county doesn't do zoning neighborhood by neighborhood. The proposal for rezoning within 1/2 mile and 1 mile of Metro stations is exactly how it's done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd love to see less townhouses and apartments and more retail spaces.

Why? The county has a housing shortage and an oversupply of retail space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love to see less townhouses and apartments and more retail spaces.

Why? The county has a housing shortage and an oversupply of retail space.

Which is why MoCo should expand residential housing in current retail corridors, rather than messing around with residential neighborhoods. The only ones who want to mess with residential neighborhoods are small builders and developers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of residential areas that could benefit from more housing also exist. So, why not both?

Why change residential areas when you do not need to change them?

Why assume that residential areas should remain unchanged?

Because I like where I live and don’t want it all jammed full of people?

1. Too bad.
2. This is the literal definition of a NIMBY.
3. To answer your question, because a thriving commercial zone is absolutely essential for the county's tax base.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love to see less townhouses and apartments and more retail spaces.

Why? The county has a housing shortage and an oversupply of retail space.

Which is why MoCo should expand residential housing in current retail corridors, rather than messing around with residential neighborhoods. The only ones who want to mess with residential neighborhoods are small builders and developers.

Why one or the other? Why not both?

Another group that wants to "mess with" (i.e., add housing to) residential neighborhoods is people who would like to live in those residential neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

This applies to all municipalities.

1. Financially healthy cities have diverse revenue streams from residential, commercial, office, industrial and sales. This differs between communities.

For example it doesn’t make much sense for DC to zone more industrial or agriculture. Some places can become bedroom communities, but this is dependent on being a satellite and secondary to an anchor city like DC.

The exact make up evolves over time and is as much dictated by the market as zoning. Suffice to say you can’t and cities are hesitant to make changes to basically the economy, assuming they can change anything about their economy.

2. Residents require services, which costs money. At the extreme end, cities try to bring in outside money with hotels, vacation homes, second homes, commercial sales, sometimes at the expense of anyone who actually lives there. Sometimes cities don’t have a choice or play the short game.

3. Montgomery County is a large area, and it depends on the conversion. Some obsolete office and commercial space can convert, but the requirements for these spaces aren’t always the same as residential. Areas next to a busy street or industrial site for example. But Montgomery County is a weak bedroom community, on the basis of access to jobs and competition from Arlington and Loudon, so there is an upper limit to how many of these would actually be viable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of residential areas that could benefit from more housing also exist. So, why not both?

Why change residential areas when you do not need to change them?

Why assume that residential areas should remain unchanged?

Because I like where I live and don’t want it all jammed full of people?

1. Too bad.
2. This is the literal definition of a NIMBY.
3. To answer your question, because a thriving commercial zone is absolutely essential for the county's tax base.

And you think all that space on Rockville will return to thriving retail space. I have a used car to sell you. Get real. What the proposed will actually drive out those who pay the income taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd love to see less townhouses and apartments and more retail spaces.

Why? The county has a housing shortage and an oversupply of retail space.

Which is why MoCo should expand residential housing in current retail corridors, rather than messing around with residential neighborhoods. The only ones who want to mess with residential neighborhoods are small builders and developers.

Why one or the other? Why not both?

Another group that wants to "mess with" (i.e., add housing to) residential neighborhoods is people who would like to live in those residential neighborhoods.

Because when I buy a house, I am buying the neighborhood. And I am not interested in others trying to change that neighborhood. Otherwise, I am out of here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This applies to all municipalities.

1. Financially healthy cities have diverse revenue streams from residential, commercial, office, industrial and sales. This differs between communities.

For example it doesn’t make much sense for DC to zone more industrial or agriculture. Some places can become bedroom communities, but this is dependent on being a satellite and secondary to an anchor city like DC.

The exact make up evolves over time and is as much dictated by the market as zoning. Suffice to say you can’t and cities are hesitant to make changes to basically the economy, assuming they can change anything about their economy.

2. Residents require services, which costs money. At the extreme end, cities try to bring in outside money with hotels, vacation homes, second homes, commercial sales, sometimes at the expense of anyone who actually lives there. Sometimes cities don’t have a choice or play the short game.

3. Montgomery County is a large area, and it depends on the conversion. Some obsolete office and commercial space can convert, but the requirements for these spaces aren’t always the same as residential. Areas next to a busy street or industrial site for example. But Montgomery County is a weak bedroom community, on the basis of access to jobs and competition from Arlington and Loudon, so there is an upper limit to how many of these would actually be viable.

There is plenty of commercial space in the County that could be converted.