MARYLAND, October 24 - For Immediate Release: Friday, October 24, 2025

PHP Committee to receive a briefing on the pipeline of approved residential development and review the proposed designation of Timberlawn in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation; PS Committee to receive briefing on judicial safety and security and review the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Nonprofit Security Grant Program

The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP) Committee will meet on Monday, October 27 at 1:30 p.m. to receive a briefing about the pipeline of approved development and review a resolution which would designate Timberlawn in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation.

The members of the PHP Committee include Chair Andrew Friedson, Council Vice President Will Jawando and Councilmember Natali Fani-González.

The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive a briefing about the safety and security of judicial facilities and information about Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office staffing. In addition, the committee will review the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Kristin Mink.

More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Pipeline of Approved Development

Briefing: The PHP Committee will receive a follow-up briefing from Planning Department representatives about recent work to evaluate the pipeline of approved residential development in the County. The PHP Committee previously received a briefing about the pipeline of approved residential development at a meeting held on Sept. 22.

The evaluation was undertaken by planning staff to gain insights into the impediments to housing construction for projects approved for development by the Planning Board. The evaluation was intended to better understand why approved housing development projects remain unbuilt and how the County could improve housing delivery. Planning staff sought to find a better way to present the pipeline information to the public.

During the evaluation of the development pipeline, planning staff reviewed 88 projects accounting for 99 percent of unbuilt units in the pipeline. They also received 47 responses to a developer survey, conducted 14 follow-up interviews, received input from regulatory planners and conducted a review of peer jurisdiction practices. Additional details are available in the staff report.

Amendment to the Master Plan for Historic Preservation, Timberlawn

Review: The PHP Committee will review the proposed designation of Timberlawn in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation. The full Council previously received a briefing about Timberlawn at a meeting held on Oct. 14. The property, located at 5700 Sugarbush Lane in Rockville, is the former residence of Eunice Kennedy and Sargent Shriver. Designation of a property as a master plan historic site or historic district, indicates that the property is of special historic significance and would be protected under the Historic Resources Preservation chapter of the County Code. Designation requires the review of the Historic Preservation Commission, the Planning Board and the County Council.

At a meeting held in Oct. 2024, the Historic Preservation Commission found that Timberlawn satisfied the designation criteria for listing in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation and voted unanimously to recommend that the Planning Board and Council designate the resource as a Master Plan Historic Site. At a meeting held in May 2025, the Planning Board voted unanimously to list Timberlawn to the Locational Atlas and Index of Historic Sites and recommend that the Council designate the property to the Master Plan for Historic Preservation. A public hearing was conducted on Oct. 21.

Additional information is available on the Planning Board website and in the Planning Board’s draft of the Timberlawn Master Plan Designation.

Safety and Security of Judicial Facilities and Sheriff’s Office Staffing

Briefing: The PS Committee will receive a briefing about the safety and security of Judicial facilities and about Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office staffing, which is responsible for providing security in the circuit court. This briefing is an update to an initial discussion held on March 10, during which the PS Committee received a briefing on a report from the State Task Force to Ensure the Safety of Judicial Facilities that was finalized in Dec. 2024. The report included recommendations to improve the safety of judicial facilities, including recommendations to provide adequate security personnel, secure parking and secure public spaces.

In 2024, the Maryland General Assembly enacted, and Gov. Wes Moore signed, the Judge Andrew F. Wilkinson Judicial Security Act. One provision of this act was the creation of a state task force that was charged with identifying minimum requirements for courthouse safety, developing a legislative proposal to ensure that the requirements identified can be met, and identifying physical security deficiencies in courthouses and developing a plan to address these deficiencies.

Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) Nonprofit Security Grant Program Review

Review: The PS Committee will review the OEMHS Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The grant program provides funding to improve security for nonprofit and faith-based organizations in Montgomery County that are at risk of hate crimes. The grant program was officially established in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, although funding towards nonprofit security was made available in FY19 through a supplemental appropriation. The grant is facilitated through OEMHS in partnership with the Office of Grants Management. Grant recipients are selected through a cross departmental review committee. Additional information is available in the Council staff report.

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The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.

Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.

Release ID: 25-359
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884