Building Beloved Community Update: May 26, 2026

We are pleased to announce that the Leadership Council of Silver Spring United Methodist Church has selected SRBR Engineers of Catonsville, MD to provide design, proposal development, and contract administration services to replace and upgrade most of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems of the church. SRBR has been involved in infrastructure assessments, replacement design, and contracting for many other buildings, including older churches like SSUMC. They already have provided us with a complete survey of our current MEP functionality and made recommendations for replacing, upgrading, or moving those utilities and systems. This next phase is a critical step in preparing for the demolition of the church education wing and beginning new housing project construction.

The Building Beloved Community Committee continues to work with our development team to finalize the affordable housing development site plan. This pre-submission work should be completed and a preliminary plan filed with Montgomery Planning by mid-July.

HOUSING PROJECT TIMELINE

These are some of the major steps that must be undertaken leading up to the start of housing construction, with approximate timeframes for completion:

July 2026 – Apply for preliminary plan of subdivision approval and a zoning “conditional use” under the rules of the Montgomery County FAITH ZTA. The preliminary plan is reviewed by the Development Review Committee.
Fall/Winter 2026-2027 – A county hearing examiner will conduct one or more public hearings as needed during the Conditional Use process. The examiner may require changes to the architectural plans.
Winter 2026-Summer 2027 – Following the Conditional Use decision, the Preliminary Plan is reviewed by Montgomery County Planning Board, and a final plat is approved.
Fall 2027 – Finalize all plans for development of the site and for financing of the housing project and submit applications for permits.
Early 2028 – Construction starts.