UPDATE: Despite the fact that the City Council was on spring break and held no public meetings on the Equity Review, the Mayor wrote a letter to the County Council supporting the MMPA. The County Council then voted to approve the MMPA on April 2nd.
Our City is being ignored and disrespected by the County Council, which is rushing to approve a plan that could displace vulnerable city residents, gentrify Maple Avenue, and reduce the socioeconomic and racial diversity of our City.
- On Monday, County Executive Marc Elrich released the long-awaited independent Racial Equity and Social Justice Review (attached below) of the proposed Takoma Park Minor Master Plan (MMPA). It found the Plan “could lead to real harm” to vulnerable City residents.
- The next day, the County Council went ahead with a unanimous “straw vote” that set up approval of the Plan.
- The County Council gave themselves, their staff, our Mayor, our City Council, and residents less than 24 hours to absorb or weigh in on the new equity review before that vote.
- The County Council has now scheduled a final vote on the Plan at their next meeting, immediately after spring break, on April 2nd.
- The City’s last chance to try to improve the Plan and prevent displacement of residents is in this two-week window, unless the County Council postpones the vote.
- The City must write a very clear and specific resolution to prevent displacement, now.
ACTION STEP: Write the Mayor and City Council, to urge them to demand a delay of the final County Council vote, to give the City Council time to write a stronger resolution to prevent displacement, in response to the critiques by the County Executive, the County Housing, Transportation and Environment departments, and the equity review.
ACTION STEP: Write the County Council, especially our rep, Council Vice President Kate Stewart (Councilmember.Stewart@montgomerycountymd.gov), to demand that they make changes to the Plan in response to the equity review, and await the City’s review and input before voting on it.
Racial Equity and Social Justice Review findings:
- “It does not appear there is a clear rationale provided for why a large swath of multi-family properties are included in a Minor Master Plan aimed at addressing the redevelopment of a hospital campus.”
- Residents on Maple “were not informed or asked about zoning changes impacting their place of residence.”
- The Review warns that “when you upzone it increases land value and speculation, which can trigger market reactions that lead to displacement of vulnerable residents.”
- The Plan lacks the “teeth” to protect our deeply affordable housing.
- “No net loss does not go far enough” when newly-built Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs) are more expensive than the units they replace.
- We should be “looking to increase the affordable housing inventory, not just replace the existing inventory.”
- We should ensure that “as the area changes, residents are able to remain, even during the construction phases.”
- “Declaring people’s fear of displacement as a ‘perception’ while directly stating that the biggest issue is ‘concentrations of poverty’ that need to be ‘diluted’ with new development is exactly the type of rhetoric that justifiably stokes the fear of displacement.”
The Review points out that “If done well, this could be a successful case study of how to do development without displacement, which would be celebrated as a best-practice and earn the municipality and County positive recognition.”
As a reminder, the County Executive had to order a racial equity review because a racial equity study repeatedly promised by Planning staff turned out to never exist, and the County Council failed to order one. For the County Executive’s critique of the Plan, read his analysis, or watch the video of our Affordable Housing Town Hall.
Tag: MMPA
County Executive Slams Takoma Park Minor Master Plan
County Executive Marc Elrich just delivered a blistering critique of the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment to the County Council. (For what happens next, see our Q&A). His comments were based on reports from County Housing, Transportation, and Environment staff. Below are just some of the findings:
Overview
- The Plan “exceeds the definition and scope” of minor master plan amendments.
- “The proposed zoning would equate to 205% more development than currently allowed, or 3X as many housing units as currently permitted.”
- Proposed upzoning on Maple “would adversely affect what is one of the densest neighborhoods of affordable housing in the County.”
- The County Executive quotes Takoma Park resident Jessica Landman: “Recognize a unicorn when you see it. Takoma Park has a unique pocket of dense, deeply affordable rent-stabilized housing, which is already consistent with the principles of Thrive and needs to be preserved, not undermined.”
Displacement and Loss of Affordable Housing
- The Plan is “based on the mistaken assumption that upzoning is essential” to meet housing targets.
- Proposed upzoning would reduce rather than increase affordable housing, and thus be “counter to Thrive stated goals.”
- The Plan will lead to “the displacement of current residents who cannot afford to live elsewhere in the County.”
- No equity study was done. “To rezone an area with one of the largest concentrations of minority populations in the county, and to do so without a racial equity analysis is a major disconnect.”
- “The focus on high-rise construction, which is very expensive, on Maple Avenue and on the Washington Adventist property, essentially guarantees that most of the new units will be unaffordable to the County’s low-income population, who are disproportionately minority.”
- “Rent restrictions for nine rent-stabilized properties (485 units) would be lost if those sites redevelop.”
- The required small percentage of MPDUs (moderately-priced units) “would serve residents with significantly higher income levels than current residents.”
- “The language recommending no net loss lacks sufficient clarity to allow enforcement when properties redevelop.”
- “The Plan states that there is a need for reinvestment in older buildings to ensure quality, safe, affordable housing, but there is no recommendation in the Plan for reinvestment.”
- By emphasizing “redevelopment over reinvestment,” the Plan “will inevitably lead to displacement of tenants who are predominantly of color and low income.”
- “Reduce heights along Lee Avenue to 50’ to maintain a garden apartment character and lower MPDU rents.”
- The hospital site is not in any major transit walkshed, and upzoning on the site should be reduced from 120′ height to 70′ height.
- The Maplewood and Erie neighborhood has “exactly the diversity of housing stock that Thrive says it wants” and should not be upzoned.
Increased Traffic
- There is no planning for an anticipated 65% increase in traffic.
- Plan area is “not conveniently walkable by most, to surrounding transit hubs.”
- “Existing transportation infrastructure will not support the additional growth.”
- The Plan would permit increasing traffic “from about 6,400 vehicles per day per road to 10,800 vehicles per day per road” on Maple and Flower Avenues.
- “Reduce densities as needed to fit within existing and currently proposed infrastructure.”
Environmental Risk
- Consideration of the Sligo Creek watershed was “brief” and “relegated to an appendix.”
- In terms of environmental goals, there are no “details on how to accomplish them or who is responsible for ensuring they are achieved” and “there will likely be no effort to address them.”
- “Although one of the plan’s goals is to reduce imperviousness, its zoning recommendations will likely increase impervious cover.“
- “There is no discussion on the condition and replacement of aging sewer infrastructure.”
- It is possible that “tree canopy cover may decrease rather than increase.”
- On the former hospital site, only “about ½-acre of central open space is recommended for retention and would require the removal of large native canopy trees.”