Wheaton Gateway Earns Sketch Plan Approval

July 19, 2022 - The Montgomery County Planning Board unanimously approved the Wheaton Gateway Sketch Plan at its July meeting after holding a public meeting on the sketch plan on May 26, 2022. 

A Sketch Plan is an early planning approval which establishes the maximum height, density and massing for a project.  You can review the planning board resolution here. 

This milestone approval marks an important step in the progress of Wheaton Gateway through the entitlement process.  The entitlement process for Wheaton Gateway has been ongoing since 2019.  The planning and construction of the project will take several more years to complete.  Prior to this Sketch Plan approval, the project team completed a voluntary concept plan review process.  At each stage of the entitlement process, there has been and there will continue to be community engagement and outreach activities, including the required pre-submission meetings and public hearings.

Highlights of the Sketch Plan resolution:

As approved, the Wheaton Gateway Sketch Pan:

·      Allows for the construction of up to 910,223 square feet of total development, comprised of up to 65,000 square feet of non-residential uses and up to 845,223 square feet of residential uses

·      Includes 30 percent Moderately Priced Dwelling Units

·      Includes a minimum of 12 percent public open space for use by the entire community

·      Maintains community compatibility by limiting the maximum building height for each portion of the project based the zoning (plus additional height in consideration of the inclusion of additional affordable housing)

What comes next?

The next planning milestone will be the submission of a Preliminary Plan of Subdivision, as well as a Site Plan. These plans will be submitted with the benefit of the feedback received on the Sketch Plan from both the Montgomery County Planning Department staff, the community, and the Planning Board. A mandatory public pre-submission meeting will again be held within 90 days prior to the initial application date of these future Site and Preliminary Subdivision Plan applications. We will announce these dates here and on the project website once they are known.

These future Site and Subdivision Plan applications will again go before the DRC and again before the Montgomery County Planning Board for a vote. Once the future Site Plan and Subdivision plans are approved and entitlements are received, the team will pursue building permits for a first phase of development, and upon their issuance, construction will commence. It is not anticipated that construction on the first phase will commence earlier than 2024.