County Council to introduce legislation to allow more duplexes, triplexes along transit corridors

Plus: Votes on U visa extension legislation; development impact tax changes

February 4, 2025 11:26 a.m. | Updated: February 4, 2025 11:47 a.m.

A legislative package that would allow more residential building types along Montgomery County’s transit corridors, announced last week by two County Council members, is expected to be formally introduced during Tuesday’s council meeting.

The council will also vote on a bill that would extend U-visa eligibility for qualifying immigrants, as well as development impact tax changes.


The council will meet at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday in the Stella Werner Council Office Building in Rockville for its regular weekly business meeting. Here’s what to expect:

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More Housing N.O.W

Councilmembers Andrew Friedson (D-Dist.1) and Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) are expected Tuesday to introduce their package of bills that would allow more residential building types – including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and apartments – along the county’s transit corridors, with a requirement that 15% of the housing serve the local workforce.

The councilmembers are the lead sponsors of The More Housing N.O.W. (New Options for Workers) legislative package announced Jan. 28. The aim of the legislative package is to increase access to more affordable workforce housing through two zoning text amendments, a subdivision regulation amendment and one bill that would change how developers of certain affordable housing are taxed.


According to the sponsors, the legislation is inspired by public conversations concerning the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative proposed by the county Planning Board in 2024, but it was not based on that proposal. The Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative outlines recommendations to the council for zoning changes in some single-family home zones in targeted areas of the county.

The legislative package includes:

– A zoning text amendment that would allow duplexes, triplexes, townhouses and apartment buildings in certain residential zones if they are located along the following road types: boulevards, downtown boulevards, downtown streets, town center boulevards or controlled major highways. Fifteen percent of the units must qualify as “workforce housing,” according to the legislative memo.

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– A zoning text amendment that would create an expedited process for developers to convert certain commercial properties into residential properties;

– A subdivision regulation amendment to create a specific administrative subdivision process for the expedited commercial to residential conversions; and

– A bill that would allow the county to offer a payment in lieu of taxes for a residential development resulting from the conversion of a property designated for commercial use but had at least a 50% vacancy rate at the time of the development application.

Public hearings on the legislation package are scheduled for 1:30 and 7 p.m. March 11.

U visa extension bill

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The council will vote whether to approve legislation that intends to strengthen protections for undocumented immigrants who are victims of violent crime.

The federal U visa, or U nonimmigrant status, grants legal status to victims of violent crimes — such as sexual assault, human trafficking and domestic violence — who assist law enforcement with the investigation of those crimes. While federal and state law have no statute of limitation for U visa eligibility, Montgomery County has a 10-year cap on allowing those crime victims to apply for a U visa. The proposed legislation would remove that cap so that crime victims can still apply after 10 years.

The legislation received widespread support from the county police department and immigration advocates at a public hearing last month.

In 2024, the police department received applications for nearly 140 U visa certifications, according to Assistant Chief Nicholas Augustine, chief of Investigative Services. He said 69 applications were certified and 64 were denied – with more than 16 of those denied because they were filed beyond the 10-year statute of limitations on felony crimes. Augustine said the police department wants the ability to certify applications that otherwise qualify but are past the 10-year cap deadline.

The legislation was introduced by councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large) in part as a response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Development impact tax changes

The council will vote on a bill that would change the way the county’s development impact tax is collected. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Glass, would require the collection of development impact taxes at the “final inspection” of a completed structure, according to the council agenda packet. Currently, an applicant for a building permit does not pay impact taxes until six or 12 months after the building permit is issued, depending on the type of building, or the structure’s final inspection by the Department of Permitting Services, whichever is earlier. The bill would change county law so that applicants do not have to pay the tax until their building projects are completed.

The assessment of development impact taxes is directly impacted by the size and geographical designations in the county’s Growth and Infrastructure Policies. Developers are required to pay the taxes on approved projects to help fund school and transportation infrastructure. The designations and rates differ based on the location of a proposed development, as illustrated in maps attached to the council’s resolution.

Development impact taxes directed to school infrastructure spending are calculated for new housing developments based on estimated school construction costs as well as the expectation that the housing will generate new students. The taxes are used to help offset the costs associated with increasing school capacity.

Developers and county commerce officials voiced strong support for the legislation during a December public hearing, saying it would ease the taxing process for developers and make development less burdensome, as well as positively impact the county’s economy by encouraging development.

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