Montgomery County officials are considering a rezoning plan to allow for more residential development and public transportation along a three-mile stretch of University Boulevard between Four Corners and Wheaton. The plan for the busy roadway has fervent supporters and detractors, and both have shown up to public meetings on the plan in droves.

Supporters point out that the county is suffering from a serious housing shortage and argue that the plan will help put more homes on the market along transit lines. Critics argue that it will crowd residential neighborhoods and worsen traffic, although the stated goal of the plan is to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce traffic-related deaths.

The County Council, which took heat in July for passing More Housing N.O.W., another proposal to intensify development along busy thoroughfares, is facing similar scrutiny as it begins to consider the University Boulevard Corridor Plan.

Here are five things to know about the plan:

1. How the University Boulevard Corridor Plan is supposed work

The plan would allow rezoning in certain parts of the University Boulevard corridor to permit more types of housing — such as town houses, duplexes, triplexes and small apartment buildings — than are currently allowed. It would also allow mixed-use developments and require more of what the county calls moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs) for new residential projects in the corridor.

While the potential for increased development is a widely discussed part of the plan, it’s not its only focus. The proposal also recommends new bus rapid-transit lines, pedestrian walkways and bike lanes.

The plan could allow, in certain cases, for the conversion of existing traffic lanes and on-street parking to create space for walkways, bikeways and street buffers with landscaping and street trees, as long as these changes are consistent with other county policies. Between 2015 and 2024, there were five traffic fatalities and 51 severe injuries in the corridor associated with the plan, according to the planning department. While advocates have praised this proposal for its goal of making it easier and safer to walk or take alternative forms of transit, critics worry that fewer lanes for cars will lead to increased traffic.

The planning department estimates that decisions on the proposal will be finalized later this fall.

2. Impact on housing and neighborhoods

Controversy over the recent More Housing N.O.W. zoning changes has led to deep-seated concerns from opponents of that plan that the University Boulevard Corridor Plan could lead to the displacement of current residents in the area.

Any development proposal made possible by the adoption of the plan would still be subject to the county’s usual review process. However, new construction — including multifamily homes, apartment buildings and stores — could pop up near existing residences.

But the plan does not make exceptions to the county’s usual zoning and development policies. That means the plan does not allow the county to seize private homes or claim eminent domain, meaning a property owner would have to consent to the redevelopment of their property.

Critics have voiced concerns about potential neighborhood and school overcrowding. The plan notes that two public schools within the corridor area are currently not at capacity and that the reopening of two schools, Charles Woodward and Northwood high schools, will help accommodate the anticipated growth of the neighborhood over the next two decades.

However, the plan also notes that enrollment trends could change over time and should be evaluated in concert with new development proposals. It recommends that if a school in the corridor reaches capacity, “MCPS should consider reassigning students to an adjacent or nearby school where there is surplus capacity available,” as opposed to building additional schools in the corridor.

3. How long has this plan been in the works?

Montgomery Planning began work on the proposal in the spring of 2022, but it builds on previous county master plans and policies, including the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050 and Vision Zero.

The planning department asked the public for its views on the corridor in 2023 and developed preliminary recommendations in 2024. The department created a draft in early 2025 that was approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board in June for consideration by the County Council.

According to Montgomery Planning records, planners held 18 community engagement sessions about the plan from November 2022 to January 2025. Outreach also included interviews on local Spanish-language radio, 1,000 doors knocked during canvasing and more than 6,000 mailers and postcards sent to residents and businesses, according to the planning department.

Following the presentation to the council, council members have hosted three public listening sessions. Two, hosted by the full council, were held on Sept. 10 and 16. On Sunday, council member Kristin Mink, who represents the area where the corridor is located, held an additional listening and Q&A session for constituents.

4. Next steps

The council’s Planning, Housing and Parks Committee is set to meet on Sept. 29 to begin discussing the proposal. Council President Kate Stewart said a plan of this magnitude — it’s 156 pages — could spend several sessions in that committee before it comes to the full council.

The committee’s amendments to the plan will be considered by the council, which may adopt all or parts of the plan or reject it entirely.

If the council approves the plan, or a version of it, it would be subject to approval by the full Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. If approved, the planning department would implement the zoning changes in a document known as a sectional map amendment (SMA).

The SMA would be subject to a public hearing prior to a vote by the full council to officially change the zoning map. These final steps, according to the planning department, would take place later this fall if the council decides to make zoning changes.

5. How you can learn more about the proposal and weigh in

While the council has already hosted a handful of public hearings, written, video or audio testimony can still be submitted via the council’s website.

Montgomery Planning has also created a web page about the plan, which allows residents to sign up for one-on-one meetings to talk to a county planner about the proposal.