Disposition of County-Owned Property
The Montgomery County Code governs the disposition of County-owned property (view the Executive Regulation here ). The Office of Planning and Development works with DGS’ Office of Real Estate to properly dispose of County-owned real property. These disposition regulations also apply to leases and licenses for County-owned land and facilities, but exclude surplus school facilities, parkland, and transportation projects including roads. The process begins with an overview by the County’s Office of Management and Budget to determine if the property is not designated for a specific public use in a master plan, not suitable for a Capital Improvement Project, and generally not appropriate for future reuse by the County. After this initial review, all County departments and outside agencies (including the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Montgomery County Public Schools, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, municipalities located in Montgomery County and others) are invited to propose a reuse of the property. The County Executive then must determine if the property is appropriate for reuse by a County department or outside agency, or that the property is no longer needed for public use and should proceed for disposition.
If the Executive decides that the property should proceed for disposition, OPD will advertise the disposition and invite organizations outside of the government to propose a reuse for the property. After reviewing all responses, the County Executive makes a final decision on the organization with whom staff should negotiate. The material terms of the contract must be approved by the County Council in order to execute a contract with the selected party. Finally, after receiving approval from the County Council, Montgomery County Planning Board and advertising the disposition publicly, the contract is executed with the selected party and the disposition process is complete.
Click here
for a chart illustrating the disposition process.
For the foreseeable future, we are working only on dispositions that advance County projects.
Completed dispositions include:
Emory Grove Parcels
The County owns three parcels in the Emory Grove area of Gaithersburg. These properties and others in the immediate area are included in a redevelopment proposal by the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC). The proposal includes new rental and for sale mixed-income housing and conservation areas. The existing recreation center and pool uses would be retained. However, the surface parking and excess grounds would be used for housing and replacement structured parking. OPD is continuing to work on the disposition of these parcels, which is required for redevelopment to move forward. More information about this project can be found here.
Liberty Mill Road Right of Way
In February 2024, the County Council approved the disposition of approximately 7,100 square feet of the County-owned Liberty Mill Road right-of-way in Germantown. The disposition will facilitate the development of 61 townhouses, including 12.5 percent Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), and two lots for up to 12,000 square feet of retail/service. The developer, Kingsview Station Joint Venture, will dedicate approximately 31,500 square feet of additional right-of-way to the County for the reconstructed Liberty Mill Road, which it will construct at its own expense and provide to the County for public use. The redevelopment site is nearly ten acres and is located at the southeastern quadrant of Clopper Mill Road/MD 117 and Germantown Road/MD 118. The realignment of Liberty Mill Road connecting Clopper Mill Road and Leaman Farm Road is as recommended in the 1989 Germantown Master Plan.
Walter Johnson Road Real Property
Approximately 13,451 square feet of County-owned property on Walter Johnson Road in Germantown was conveyed to the County in 1996 via Deed of Dedication. The dedication was to support implementation of recommended roadway connections. However, this property has never been used for a public purpose. The property is included in a proposed site for the grocery store Lidl, who approached the County as the contract purchaser of three privately owned tracts surrounding the property. Lidl’s proposed project will build two sections of private roadway that will be open to public use, completing road connections for the block. An associated right-of-way abandonment was approved by the Montgomery County Council on September 13, 2022. The County Council approved the disposition for sale in November 2022.
14645 Rothgeb Drive
In November 2022, the County Council approved the disposition of a County-owned property on Rothgeb Drive in the City of Rockville. The disposition is in the form of a long-term lease for a nominal sum with CASA de Maryland, which currently has a contract for service with the County’s Department of Health and Human Services to provide and operate a program of employment, training, and supportive services for low-income, multi-cultural residents at the subject building.
Hollywood Branch Parcel
The 12.8-acre Hollywood Branch parcel is wooded with streams and includes a stretch of an important Paint Branch tributary in the larger Anacostia watershed, which recently was the site of a stream restoration project on which Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection collaborated. The County transferred the property to Montgomery Parks in fall 2022. Montgomery Parks will continue the long-standing use of the property as conservation area by incorporating it into the adjacent Paint Branch Stream Valley Park and managing it as parkland.
14900 Broschart Road
OPD facilitated the sale of a County-owned, two-acre site containing a power plant that serves three buildings developed in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center. The County constructed the facility and entered a long-term lease with Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in 1979. Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center is planning significant capital investments over the next several years including upgrades to the power plant. The County sold the parcel in an effort to create sustainable and resilient facilities.
5830 and 5834 Riggs Road
In July 2021, Council approved the disposition of two County-owned properties, each with one single family home, on a total of 6 acres in Gaithersburg. The disposition is in the form of a long-term license agreement with Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH), who operates a Safe Havens facility for veterans experiencing homelessness and has an office on the property. OPD managed the disposition of the property as required under Section 11B-45 of the County Code.
Halpine View
In Spring 2021 Montgomery County transferred approximately two acres of land along Twinbrook Parkway to a private developer, Halpine Park LLC, to be included in a future redevelopment project that has a no-net loss of affordable housing units. In exchange for the transfer of property, the developer will include additional Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), including deeply affordable units ranging from 30% of the Area Medium Income (AMI) to 70% AMI, and market-rate affordable units for households whose income does not exceed 80% AMI. The developer also must include a minimum of 25% two- and three-bedroom units in its redevelopment plan. These affordable housing goals directly support the vision of the 2019 Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan.
Oaks Landfill Community Solar
Montgomery County partnered with Ameresco, an energy efficiency and renewable energy company, to build three solar arrays on approximately 16 acres of underutilized County-owned land at the former Oaks Landfill. The Office of Planning Development assisted with the disposition of this land via long-term lease, which was approved December 2020. Array 1, which is 2 megawatts (MW), is for use by the County under a power purchase agreement, providing the County government clean, renewable energy at no upfront cost. Arrays 2 and 3, each with 2 MW, will be a community solar project with 100% of the generated electricity provided to low-to-moderate income subscribers. For more information, visit the Department of General Services’ Office of Energy and Sustainability project page.
Davis Airport
Montgomery County was approached by the owners of the Davis Airport to sell County-owned land adjacent to the airport for a longer runway. The longer runway is part of the Airport’s expansion plans to meet additional safety standards and modernize the Airport, adding to the County’s air infrastructure and benefiting the local economy given the expected growth in the flight training industry. The sale was completed in October 2020.
Former Silver Spring Intermediate School Site
The Silver Spring Intermediate School closed in 1973 and became the Silver Spring Intermediate Neighborhood Park in 1976. The County facilitated the transfer of this property from Montgomery County Public Schools to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in July 2020 to allow for the continued use of and upgrades to the existing park. This disposition occurred under the regulations for reuse, leasing, and sale of closed schools.
Glen Echo Fire Station Expansion
In December 2018 the County transferred the Glen Echo Fire Station expansion site to the Conduit Road Fire Board, owner and operator of the Glen Echo Fire Station. The additional land will allow for a major renovation to meet current and future fire/rescue services delivery requirements.
Edison Park Parkland
Montgomery County entered into a long term lease with the City of Gaithersburg in November 2018 for a portion of the County-owned property on Edison Park Drive. The City will use the property as parkland for passive and active recreational uses. The City will pay to refurbish and maintain the area, as well as provide recreational programming and scheduling, adding a needed recreational resource for the area.
175 Watts Branch Parkway
This vacant five-acre property lies within the City of Rockville’s Wootton’s Mill Park. In 2017, the County sold the property to the City of Rockville so that it could be incorporated into the surrounding parkland. The money from the sale of the property will be used to support affordable housing.
The Historic Germantown Bank Building
The Germantown Historical Society (GHS) had been leasing this historic building since 2003, using it as the organization’s headquarters as well as space for museum displays and public meetings. The GHS proposed to make the building their permanent headquarters, and the disposition of the property was completed in July 2015.
Cultural Programming in the new Silver Spring Library
The new Silver Spring Library was designed with arts programming in mind, and before its opening OPD requested proposals to provide cultural and educational opportunities in the basement, ground floor, and second floor of the new building. Two local nonprofits were selected to provide programming: the Gandhi Brigade, a youth media organization, and Levine Music, a community music school.