Proposed Olney Master Plan Amendment
Updated June 2004

Olney Master Plan Amendment

The Department of Park and Planning is in the process of amending the Olney master plan, which was last updated in 1980. The update will generally focuses on physical planning issues, including land use, zoning, transportation, environment and community facilities. Final approval of the amended plan by the County Council is expected in the fall of 2004. For an outline of the proposed master plan process please see the Olney Master Plan Amendment Schedule below.

On May 27th, 2004, the Planning Board approved the Olney Master Plan Planning Board Draft and forwarded it to the County Executive and the County Council. The County Council held a hearing on the draft plan September 2004. The Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee of the Council is in the process of conducting its worksession on the Draft Plan's recommendations. The PHED committee will send its recommendations to the full Council which will hold its own work sessions. Final approval of the amended plan by the County Council is expected in early 2005.

July 2001 - December 2001: Start of the plan amendment process-- data collection, technical analysis, evaluation of existing conditions, community information gathering, issues identification, nominations for a citizen advisory group.

January 2002 - March 2002: Staff prepares a draft Purpose and Outreach Strategy (POS) Report and issues it for public comment. After feedback from the public staff finalizes the draft POS report and presents it to the Planning Board for approval. The Planning Board approves the final Purpose and Outreach Strategy Report, which becomes the basis for the next phase. At the same time the Planning Board appoints a Master Plan Advisory Group whose principal purpose is to give input and feedback to the staff on community's concerns.

April 2002 - July 2003: Staff prepares analyses and develops various alternatives, presents them to MPAG and the general public for comments, and receives feedback. Staff prepares the Staff Draft Plan of recommendations for presentation to the Planning Board.  The Planning Board reviews the Staff Draft Plan, makes preliminary changes as appropriate, and approves the Plan for public hearing.  The document becomes the Public Hearing (Preliminary) Draft Plan. It now becomes a formal proposal by the Department to amend an adopted master plan. Its recommendations are not necessarily those of the Planning Board; it is prepared for the purpose of receiving public hearing testimony.

August 2003 - May, 2004: The Planning Board holds a public hearing and receives testimony on the Public Hearing Draft Plan. After the public hearing record is closed, the Planning Board holds public worksessions to review the testimony and to revise the Public Hearing Draft Plan as appropriate. When the Board's changes are made, the document becomes the Planning Board Draft Plan. This document is the Planning Board's recommended Plan and it reflects the revisions made by the Board in its worksessions on the Public Hearing Draft Plan. The Regional District Act requires the Planning Board to transmit the Plan directly to the County Council with copies to the County Executive.

June 2004 - July 2004: The Regional District Act then requires the County Executive to prepare and transmit, within sixty days, a fiscal impact analysis of the Planning Board Draft Plan to the County Council. The County Executive may also forward to the Council other comments and recommendations regarding the Planning Board Draft Plan within the sixty-day period.

August 2004 - February 2005: After receiving the Executive's fiscal impact analysis and comments, the County Council may hold a public hearing to receive public testimony on the draft Plan. After the record of this public hearing is closed, the Council's Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) Committee holds public worksessions to review the testimony and then makes recommendations to the County Council. The Council holds its own worksessions, then adopts a resolution approving the Planning Board Draft Plan, as revised.

The new Master Plan approved by the County Council is forwarded to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission for adoption. Once adopted by the Commission, the Plan becomes the official Approved and Adopted Master Plan, and formally amends the General Plan and various master and sector plans cited in the Commission's adoption resolution. Staff starts Sectional Map Amendment process to implement zoning changes included in new plan.

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