Montgomery County Council

The five-member Montgomery County Planning Board, which is part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, works to maintain and improve the quality of life in our community. The Planning Board acts on issues such as growth, transportation, environmental protection, agriculture, historical preservation and forest conservation. Additionally, the Planning Board is largely responsible for land use and protecting parkland resources throughout our 323,000-acre County.

More specifically, the Planning Board:

Considers large- and small-scale plans for new development;
Provides guidelines for the pattern and pace of future development;
Produces master and sector plans for consideration by the Montgomery County Council;
Develops and manages Montgomery County's nationally recognized 32,900-acre park system; and
Recommends which sites receive historic designations to the Council.

The Planning Board usually meets each Thursday in the auditorium at 2425 Reedie Drive in Wheaton.

Update on the Planning Board

On Feb. 28, 2023, the Montgomery County Council appointed Shawn Bartley, Mitra Pedoeem and James Hedrick to the Montgomery County Planning Board to replace three temporary Planning Board members which included Cherri Branson, David Hill and Amy Presley.

The three newly appointed Planning Board members will serve the remainder of the three existing terms as follows: Bartley will serve as the Republican member until June 14, 2024; Pedoeem will serve as the unaffiliated member until June 14, 2025; and Hedrick will serve as the Democratic member until June 14, 2026. These members may also reapply to serve on the Planning Board, once their terms end.

On May 16, 2023, the Council appointed Artie L. Harris, Jr. as Montgomery County Planning Board chair and Josh Linden as a Planning Board member. Harris, who is a Democrat, replaces temporary Chair Jeff Zyontz and Linden, who is an unaffiliated voter, replaces temporary Planning Board Member Roberto Piñero, and both begin new four-year terms on the Planning Board.

Harris has served as vice president of real estate at Montgomery Housing Partnership, Inc. (MHP), which is a nonprofit real estate development organization based in Silver Spring where he has worked since 2009. Prior to joining MHP, he was the vice president at Bozzuto Development Company. He has 30 years of experience developing multi-family housing and retail facilities, and an additional nine years of experience as a civil engineer managing design and construction projects for commercial high-rise and industrial buildings and power plants. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University. Harris also holds a certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

To learn more about the Montgomery County Planning Board visit their website.

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