Council Passes 'Accelerate MoCo' Biohealth and Housing Zoning Bills

The Montgomery County Council unanimously passed ZTA 26-03 and ZTA 26-04, a package of two zoning text amendments introduced by Councilmember Friedson aimed at streamlining approvals for life sciences projects and mixed-income housing. ZTA 26-03 expands the Biohealth Priority Campus framework to include adaptive reuse of office space, while ZTA 26-04, co-introduced with Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, extends expedited review to mixed-income housing meeting certain affordability thresholds. One housing provider reported receiving regulatory approval in 63 days under the new process, compared to up to 500 days previously.