Council Approves Zoning Rules to Speed Office-to-Housing Conversions

The Montgomery County Council approved Zoning Text Amendment 25-03 and Subdivision Regulation Amendment 25-01 on April 8, 2025, expediting the approval process for converting vacant office space into residential housing. The measures were co-sponsored by Councilmembers Fani-González and Friedson as part of the More Housing N.O.W. legislative package. The county's office vacancy rate stood at 18.5% at the end of 2024, concentrated in older, functionally obsolete buildings.