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Site Plan Guidelines for Projects Containing MPDUs

Guidelines for Unit Types
  1. Encourage a variety of MPDU unit types.  Promote, but do not require, duplexes or single-family detached MPDUs in a single-family detached only section of a subdivision.  Encourage more than one MPDU unit type in subdivisions with three or more market rate unit types.  MPDU unit types and market rate unit types need not be the same.
  1. Prohibit back-to-back townhouse MPDUs unless it can be demonstrated that no other unit type is suitable to the site, that the disadvantages associated with that unit type are eliminated in the site design, and the MPDUs are scattered among market rate back-to-back units.
  1. Encourage innovative site and building configurations for townhouses, piggy-backs, quadriplexes, triplexes, duplexes, small-lot detached units, and apartments.  Solicit comments from agencies most familiar with the market, delivery, and life of MPDUs prior to preparation of site plans for review.

Guidelines for MPDU Locations and Site Plan Features
  1. Discourage location of more than 16 back-to-back or piggy-back MPDUs OR 30 non-garage townhouse MPDUs adjacent to or confronting each other.  Quantities larger than this should be separated from other MPDUs of these two types by market rate buildings.  Garage townhouse, duplex, and detached MPDUs would be exempt from limits on aggregation.
  1. Permit townhouse-type buildings containing only MPDUs.
  1. Encourage, but do note require, MPDUs and market rate units on a single garden apartment stairwell.  If an individual stairwell has only MPDUs, then the remainder of the building must contain some or all market rate units.
  1. Encourage distribution of any MPDU-only apartment stairwells among the market rate stairwells.
  1. Continue to advocate siting of MPDUs to facilitate access to public facilities.
  1. Permit enough clustering of single-family detached and duplex MPDUs to take advantage of production and marketing efficiencies.
  1. Continue to give special attention to site plans for MPDUs in order to provide useable open space, play and congregating areas near units, age-appropriate recreation, adequate parking for residents and guests, and adequate provision for storage and garbage collection.
  1. Ensure that open space and recreational facilities which are required for site plan approval are equally available to all residents, regardless of income or unit type.
  1. Continue to require close proximity for MPDUs to open space and recreation facilities required for site plan approval; where off-site recreation facilities are allowed, locate MPDUs nearby unless additional, age-appropriate facilities are located near the MPDUs.
  1. In townhouse and garden apartment areas where residents lack individual private and defensible yards, continue to require open space areas which are adjacent and useable; steep slope and inaccessible open space areas are insufficient.
  1. Require phasing plan contained in site plan to conform to Section 25A-5(i) of the Montgomery County Code.
  1. Clearly identify MPDUs on all site plan applications and signature set drawings.
  1. Clearly state on the record plat that the site provides MPDUs, the location of which are shown on the site plan.