UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARINGS
Your Voice Belongs in the Public Record
Two important public hearings are scheduled this month. One concerns the future of neighborhoods along University Boulevard and Colesville Road. The other concerns the County’s authority to exclude people from public facilities.
EPIC is sharing this information because residents should understand proposed policies before decisions are finalized, not after they begin affecting our communities.
You do not need to be a lawyer, planner or policy expert to testify. Tell the Council what you support, what concerns you and what questions you believe must be answered.
SEPTEMBER 15: UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD Corridor Plan Sign Up
Previously advertised as SMA H-161
Public hearing: Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
Registration deadline: Monday, September 14, at 2:00 p.m.
SMA H-163 is the zoning-map amendment that would officially implement the zoning recommendations in the approved University Boulevard Corridor Plan. The earlier July hearing was canceled and the proposal was refiled as H-163.
What does the map amendment mean?
The corridor plan established the policy direction. The map amendment applies the new zoning classifications to individual properties.
The changes could affect:
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What types of housing may be built
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The number and size of buildings permitted
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Building heights, setbacks and lot coverage
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Parking and traffic conditions
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Mature trees, stormwater and neighborhood infrastructure
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Property values, taxes and displacement pressures
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Whether the housing produced will be affordable to current residents
Why should you testify?
This hearing gives residents an opportunity to place their experiences, concerns and recommendations in the County’s official record before the Council acts.
Residents may want the Council to address:
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Whether affected property owners received clear and adequate notice
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Whether infrastructure can support the proposed development
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How existing homeowners and renters will be protected from displacement
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What housing will be affordable and to whom
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Whether transportation improvements—including Bus Rapid Transit—are funded
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How trees, flooding, stormwater and extreme heat will be addressed
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Whether additional conditions or protections should accompany the rezoning
Whether you support the amendment, oppose it or believe it should be changed, the Council needs to hear directly from the people who live in and around the corridor.
If residents do not participate, the official record will not fully reflect the people who must live with the decision
SEPTEMBER 22: ACCESS TO COUNTY PUBLIC FACILITIES Sign Up
Bill 37-26: Disruptive Behavior - Public Facilities
Public hearing: Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
Registration deadline: Monday, September 21, at 2:00 p.m.
Bill 37-26 would revise the County’s existing disruptive-behavior law. The proposed legislation would authorize longer-term orders restricting a person’s access to one or more County public facilities. It would establish procedures for issuing those orders and provide a right to an evidentiary hearing and an appeal.
Under the existing County Code, a “public facility” includes County-owned, leased or used buildings, grounds and transit vehicles. The current law permits certain officials and law-enforcement personnel to issue an order restricting access for up to 90 days when prohibited conduct occurs.
Why is EPIC raising concerns?
EPIC supports protecting County employees and residents from violence, threats and genuinely dangerous conduct. At the same time, any policy that can restrict access to government facilities deserves careful public examination.
County facilities include places where residents attend hearings, observe their government, provide testimony, organize and petition elected officials.
The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government. Therefore, the public should understand exactly how the County would distinguish dangerous or genuinely disruptive conduct from lawful criticism, protest, signs, organizing and testimony.
Questions the Council should answer
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What specific problems in the existing law prompted Bill 37-26?
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What conduct could result in a longer-term exclusion order?
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Could an order cover the Council Office Building or multiple facilities?
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Who makes the initial accusation and who decides whether it is supported?
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What objective standards would prevent inconsistent or selective enforcement?
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How quickly would a person receive an evidentiary hearing?
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Would an order remain in effect while it is being challenged?
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What happens when an accusation is inaccurate?
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How would someone subject to an order continue accessing public services?
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What explicit protections would safeguard lawful speech, peaceful protest, signs, testimony, organizing and attendance at public meetings?
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What data would be released so the public could identify possible racial or other disparities in enforcement?
These questions do not minimize the need for public safety. They ask the County to demonstrate that any restriction is clearly defined, supported by evidence, accompanied by meaningful due process and applied without regard to a person’s identity or viewpoint.
Public safety and constitutional rights must both be protected. Political disagreement and lawful dissent should never be treated as threats.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Residents may testify in person or remotely, or submit written, audio or video testimony.
County Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Register online: Montgomery County Council Public Hearing Sign-Up
Register by telephone: 240-777-7803
General Council telephone: 240-777-7900
The County requires advance registration for live testimony. It also accepts written, audio, video and mailed testimony.
Democracy works best when the people affected by a decision are informed, present and heard. This September, our communities must be part of the public record.
