This video is no longer available.
The Montgomery County Council approved a zoning measure on Tuesday that will allow for the construction of more residential buildings along designated transit corridors in an effort to create housing for middle-income residents.
The council voted 8-3 in favor of the
Opponents to the plan that will allow duplexes, triplexes and some apartments along designated transit corridors in the Maryland county dotted the auditorium while the They held up signs with images of wrecking balls along with photos of council members with yellow caution tape at the top of each poster.
Council member Natali Fani-Gonz谩lez, who championed the bill along with Council member Andrew Friedson, told the crowd, 鈥淭o say that ‘we want more affordable housing, yet, let鈥檚 not do anything,’ is not a solution.鈥�
“We are not displacing anybody. We are giving people choices. The government is not taking your home, which is the rumor that I keep hearing from people,” Fani-Gonz谩lez added.
At one point during Fani-Gonz谩lez鈥� comments, she was shouted down, and Council President Kate Stewart jumped in telling opponents, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to take a moment, and we鈥檙e going to take a breath, because this is Montgomery County; and in Montgomery County, we can disagree, respectfully.鈥�
But protester Kimblyn Persaud, with the group EPIC of MoCo, objected, calling out, 鈥淒on鈥檛 insult us now!鈥�
Council member Gabe Albornoz said before voting, 鈥淚t鈥檚 understandable that people have raw emotions when it comes to discussing something as important as your own home.鈥�
Under the zoning change, new construction with three or more units would have to include some that would qualify for workforce housing designations. Friedson explained if there are more than three units, 15% of those would have to come in under the workforce housing guidelines. That means that duplexes could be offered at the market rate.
Council member Will Jawando, long a skeptic of the plan, said that the process is set up as “either you鈥檙e for this ZTA or you鈥檙e not for those things.鈥�
He called it a “false choice” and said he worried that when duplexes go up at market rates, “You鈥檙e going to have the negative effect, I fear, of displacing folks who need affordable housing and won鈥檛 be able to afford what comes back.鈥�
His comment drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Council members Kristin Mink and Sidney Katz joined Jawando in voting no, with Katz saying 鈥淐andidly, I do not see how 鈥� what is being proposed, gets us to where we want to be for workforce housing.鈥�
The ZTA won’t go into effect until Nov. 1.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2025 91欧美激情. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
