Survey of Montgomery County Faith-Based Institutions Identifies their Critical Role, Development Needs

Silver Spring, MD - Montgomery County planning staff today finalized a report for the County Council that presents a snapshot of the nearly 700 faith-based institutions in the county and details the challenges they face when applying to relocate or expand. The Planning Board approved the report on July 19.

Planning staff conducted the survey at the request of the Council, which last year asked for the report to update a decade-old report of the county’s faith-based organizations. In this survey, staff spelled out the social service functions of the institutions as well as their changing needs in a growing and urbanizing county.

The number of faith-based organizations in Montgomery County grew 37 percent since 1997, when the last survey was conducted. The report points out that the county can expect a continued increase as faith-based institutions seek to serve a more multi-cultural populace. As “once-in-a-lifetime developers,” moreover, the organizations face unique challenges when they seek to build or expand, the report found.

To better serve those organizations, the county might include representatives from faith-based organizations in long-range planning efforts; improve coordination among county agencies involved in planning and permitting; examine county zoning policies to ensure potential new sites for religious institutions are adequate and compatible with surrounding land uses; and create staff – in the Planning Department or within a nonprofit organization – to support the County Executive’s new ombudsman in helping faith-based and nonprofit representatives better navigate the planning and development review process.

The report specified the social role of the county’s faith-based organizations, which provide vital services, from worship to counseling to day care, to congregants and county residents. Demand for those services is likely to increase with the county’s population growth.

The County Council is expected to consider the report in September or later this fall.