Signs sprouted up in the audience, heckling turned to boos, and then the Montgomery County, Maryland, Council voted unanimously to pass , the 30-year planning document that鈥檚 intended to guide future development.
Before the vote, County Council President Gabe Albornoz picked up his gavel and told the residents in the audience, some of whom commented loudly during the meeting, 鈥淚鈥檝e never actually had to use this before, and I hope I don鈥檛 have to use it today.鈥�
Albornoz, a proponent of the plan, said delaying the decision 鈥� which had been in the works for 18 months 鈥� would be a mistake. He explained that he was born in Gaithersburg in 1976, and that the county鈥檚 master plan had not been updated in a generation.
Albornoz said he believes it is time 鈥渢o connect the dots among the various master plans and to provide a roadmap for the county moving forward.鈥�
Council member Hans Riemer was booed when he argued that the plan would address questions of climate change, equity and economic development. At one point, he responded to the audience commentary by saying, 鈥淭his is not the civil dialogue you were saying you wanted.鈥�
Before he concluded his comments, one audience member called out, 鈥淪hame on you!鈥�
Another council member, Sidney Katz, had been leaning toward voting against the plan, but said before the vote that he鈥檇 taken a look at what he called the 鈥渃lean copy,鈥� the latest update, and decided he could vote for it.
鈥淭his is not a perfect plan, nor will any plan ever be perfect, especially a 30-year plan,鈥� he said.
One opponent to the plan is Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, who had repeatedly voiced his concerns over equity issues 鈥� even before the unprecedented resignations of all five members of the Planning Board.
In a statement Thursday, Elrich argued that Thrive2050 was being rushed through, insisting that there had not been enough community participation, particularly around issues involving equity.
鈥淚 am disappointed in the Council鈥檚 vote,鈥� Elrich said. 鈥淭here were many important questions that were never answered, and reasons to postpone this vote.鈥�
Last week, Albornoz issued a rebuttal in the form of a letter to Elrich, accusing the county executive of 鈥減olitical posturing鈥� and rejecting the idea that Thrive2050 had been rushed.
鈥淭hrive2050 is the most reviewed general plan in Montgomery County鈥檚 history,鈥� Albornoz wrote.
Planning Board controversy
The county鈥檚 Planning Board was roiled by controversy for weeks prior to Tuesday鈥檚 vote.
First, after news reports that Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson had kept a bar in his office, he was given an official reprimand. Two Planning Board members, Vice Chair Partap Verma and Commissioner Carol Rubin, were also disciplined for 鈥渧iolation of Commission policy.鈥�
On Oct. 10, Planning Director Gwen Wright was removed by a majority of the members of the Board. Anderson recused himself from that vote.
Then, days later, the Montgomery County Council accepted the resignations of all five board members. Council President Albornoz said at the time that the council had 鈥渓ost faith鈥� in the board.
Next steps
Looking ahead, a new five-member Planning Board will implement the updated blueprint for Montgomery County鈥檚 development.
The council is interviewing 11 candidates to fill the vacant Planning Board slots on a temporary basis, before permanent members are eventually appointed by the next council after the Nov. 8 election.
