Germantown’s last growth plan didn’t pan out the way Montgomery County officials had hoped.

In the early 2000s, county planners envisioned Germantown as a future employment center, with office buildings in the town’s center and office parks by the highway.

But the office boom didn’t happen.

County planners are preparing the next growth plan for Germantown, and their vision will likely be much different than the one crafted at the start of the century.

One of the planners’ first steps was to figure out what residents like and dislike about Germantown, a census-designated area of about 90,500 people. Planning Department staff will present their findings to the Planning Board on Thursday.

The planners — from several community events in recent months and a questionnaire sent to residents — discovered that people largely take great pride in their community. They value its diversity, access to retail stores, local and regional parks, and cultural institutions such as the BlackRock Center for the Arts.

But residents also have long wish lists. They want their town center to have more public art, better parking and more non-chain, sit-down restaurants.

Residents and visitors also worry about crime — “the bus transit center can feel unsafe at times,” said one survey respondent — and roadway safety.

“Drivers are crazy and the roadways [need] more calming strategies. There should be more consideration for pedestrians,” another respondent said.

And they see affordable housing for both owners and renters as a way to help Germantown maintain its diversity.

Patrick Butler, the lead planner for the Upcounty region, said Wednesday that he expects his team will soon start proposing ways to improve the area’s transportation options and access to parks, among other issues.

Butler said planners may also consider new ways to fill vacant office space, potentially by turning it into residential or retail use.

Nearly 23% of Germantown’s office space was vacant as of spring 2024, higher than the countywide average of about 17%, according to the Planning Department.

Butler said it’s unlikely that many companies will be moving into those empty spaces in the coming decades.

What went wrong

In the last Germantown growth plan, staff imagined business campuses with offices and restaurants. But the Great Recession, among other factors, threw a wrench into the plan.

Many companies opted for urban settings, where employees have easy access to public transit and a variety of dining spots.

County Council member Marilyn Balcombe, who represents the town, cited Marriott as a prime example — the international hotel company moved within Bethesda from a campus-style setup to its downtown.

As an unincorporated area, Germantown lacks a local government or economic development organization to market the town to companies.

Balcombe, who has lived in Germantown for 30 years, said the next growth plan should have “more balance” than the last.

“It would be great to have more shops, more restaurants, more jobs,” she said.