The Montgomery County Council is expected to vote Tuesday to approve new Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) proposed by County Executive Marc Elrich (D).
A new zoning text amendment that would change downtown Bethesda’s overlay zones will also be introduced during Tuesday’s council meeting, in tandem with a discussion about the Bethesda Downtown Minor Master Plan, including a Planning Board recommendation to lift a development cap.
The council will meet at 9 a.m. in the Stella Werner Council Office Building in Rockville for its regular weekly business meeting. Here’s what to expect:
Building Energy Performance Standards
The council will vote to approve new Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) proposed by Elrich’s office. BEPS require commercial and residential buildings to reach a certain level of energy efficiency with the aim of reducing carbon emissions, according to the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Four different types of buildings must comply with BEPS: county and privately owned nonresidential buildings that measure 25,000 to 50,000 gross square feet, county and privately owned nonresidential buildings measuring 50,000 or more gross square feet, residential buildings measuring 25,000 to 250,000 gross square feet, and residential buildings with 250,000 or more gross square feet.
Each type of building is subject to a different standard based on a proposed chart. However, the goal is for all buildings to reach the same standard of compliance when it comes to energy efficiency.
The biggest change to Elrich’s proposal in 2025 is a 30% performance cap, making it easier and more financial feasible for some buildings to meet their benchmark.
BEPS adjustments have been historically controversial. According to the council staff report, the council held six stakeholder meetings last year following the submission of Elrich’s proposal in January 2024. While most who testified supported the goal of reducing impacts on the climate, they expressed concerns about the infrastructure costs required to meet the standards.
According to DEP, the Montgomery County Green Bank will be offering services to help building owners assess energy performance and connect them to potential financing incentives. Some options include the Commercial PACE financing program, the Maryland Energy Administration, and the EmPOWER Maryland program, which all aim to help lessen the financial burden of upgrading to more energy-efficient infrastructure.
Potential zoning changes for downtown Bethesda
A proposed zoning text amendment that would change Bethesda’s overlay zones will also be introduced Tuesday in tandem with a discussion about the Bethesda Downtown Minor Master Plan.
The proposal, sponsored by council President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) at the request of the Planning Board, would amend the Bethesda Overlay Zone by implementing recommendations included in the proposed Bethesda Downtown Plan Minor Master Plan Amendment. The amendment to the master plan is also under consideration by the council.
In June 2023, county planners began the process of amending the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan, a 20-year vision that includes a cap on “total development in the downtown area, including existing and approved new development,” according to the Montgomery Planning website.
The 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan resulted from a four-year collaboration among residents, property owners, Montgomery Planning staff, the Planning Board and the council, according to the planning department. The plan encompasses the planners’ vision for affordable housing, new parks and open spaces as well as pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvements in the downtown Bethesda area.
The proposed minor master plan amendment provides an update of the existing downtown plan “with a more narrow focus, either in terms of geography or the topics to be covered,” the website says.
According to Montgomery Planning, the 32.4 million-square-foot development cap for downtown Bethesda was reached in September 2023 – six years into the 2017 plan – leaving the approval of future projects in the downtown area uncertain.
County planners argued for the removal of the cap because the 2017 downtown plan’s “vision of affordable housing near jobs and community amenities will not be realized” without “private development and the public investment it funds,” according to a Montgomery Planning overview of the recommendations.
According to the staff report, the zoning text amendment would:
- incentivize both family-size and deeply affordable moderately priced dwelling units (MPDU) units by providing benefits such as additional building height; reducing park impact payments, which developers pay to help the county provide public amenities; and adding public benefit points;
- Encourage construction of a new recreation center by allowing additional building height, a reduction of required public open space, and public benefit points;
- Lift the existing development cap for properties within the Bethesda Overlay Zone.
The goal of these proposed changes, according to the report, would be to encourage more development in the area.
A public hearing is scheduled for April 1.
