Montgomery County
Chair: Kyle Soltesz
Vice Chair: Katie Wagner
Staff Contact: Griffin Benton
Chair: Kyle Soltesz
Vice Chair: Katie Wagner
Staff Contact: Griffin Benton
Legislative and Regulatory Issues Impacting Montgomery County
November/December 2025
University Blvd Corridor Plan The University Boulevard Corridor Plan focuses on three miles of University Boulevard between I-495 and Wheaton, “with the aim to address community needs related to traffic safety, regional connectivity, environmental sustainability, corridor-focused growth and economic development.” On June 12, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved its draft of the plan after eight work sessions in which Montgomery Planning staff and public input. The County Council held a public hearing in October on the plan and recieved .
County electricity aggregator
A public hearing is also scheduled on Tuesday for a bill that would establish a community choice aggregator (CCA), according to council documents. A community choice aggregator is a group that purchases electricity that allows local governments to “buy on behalf of residents, businesses, and municipal accounts. CCA works in partnership with the region’s existing utilities, which continue to deliver electricity and maintain the grid,” according to council documents. The legislation would establish a community choice aggregator, create requirements around the aggregator’s operations and amend the law regarding electrical supply environmental stability, according to the bill. County Council President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) is the lead sponsor on the bill. The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill in 2021 that allows the county to create a community choice aggregator pilot program.
ZTA 25-10 - Native Plant Requriements
ZTA 25-10 was introduced along with companion Bill 26-25, VegetationInvasive Plants which exempts native plants from requirements to keep weedy vegetation kept no more than 12 inches high, and bans the sale of bamboo plants within the county. The industry was opposed to the ZTA . The 50 percent threshold would restrict landscape architects’ ability to design attractive and functional sites. Certain settings—such as dense urban streetscapes, rooftops, or shaded areas—may not be suitable for many native species, making compliance difficult or impossible. Native v. non-native is a false argument, many growers and suppliers that have been commonly used in Montgomery County by both the private and public sector are non-native. The bill was held in committee in October.
University Blvd Corridor Plan The University Boulevard Corridor Plan focuses on three miles of University Boulevard between I-495 and Wheaton, “with the aim to address community needs related to traffic safety, regional connectivity, environmental sustainability, corridor-focused growth and economic development.” On June 12, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved its draft of the plan after eight work sessions in which Montgomery Planning staff and public input. The County Council held a public hearing in October on the plan and recieved .
County electricity aggregator
A public hearing is also scheduled on Tuesday for a bill that would establish a community choice aggregator (CCA), according to council documents. A community choice aggregator is a group that purchases electricity that allows local governments to “buy on behalf of residents, businesses, and municipal accounts. CCA works in partnership with the region’s existing utilities, which continue to deliver electricity and maintain the grid,” according to council documents. The legislation would establish a community choice aggregator, create requirements around the aggregator’s operations and amend the law regarding electrical supply environmental stability, according to the bill. County Council President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) is the lead sponsor on the bill. The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill in 2021 that allows the county to create a community choice aggregator pilot program.
ZTA 25-10 - Native Plant Requriements
ZTA 25-10 was introduced along with companion Bill 26-25, VegetationInvasive Plants which exempts native plants from requirements to keep weedy vegetation kept no more than 12 inches high, and bans the sale of bamboo plants within the county. The industry was opposed to the ZTA . The 50 percent threshold would restrict landscape architects’ ability to design attractive and functional sites. Certain settings—such as dense urban streetscapes, rooftops, or shaded areas—may not be suitable for many native species, making compliance difficult or impossible. Native v. non-native is a false argument, many growers and suppliers that have been commonly used in Montgomery County by both the private and public sector are non-native. The bill was held in committee in October.
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