Monthly Archives: December 2025

Descendants Petition State to Disinter Bodies Buried at Silver Spring Site

Members of the Silver Spring United Methodist Church and Van Buren Methodist Church seek signatures on a petition to the Maryland State Highway Administration to disinter bodies believed to be buried adjacent to the former Montgomery Hills Carwash at the Seminary Place shopping center on Georgia Avenue.

Read the full Montgomery Community Media article

Petition Deadline Extended

According to Pastor Will Ed Green: “Names can be added to the letter here. Signatories do not need to be a resident of Montgomery County or Maryland for your voice to matter. We believe that the collaborative, thoughtful process that has unfolded thus far has the potential to help other communities dismantle the lasting impacts of urban renewal, the erasure of Black history and culture, and the desecration of Black burial grounds.

We encourage you to continue sharing the story of Mt. Zion with your communities and community organizations–both to solicit signatures and celebrate the legacy and long-term impact it has had. Beginning in January, we will communicate further updates via an online newsletter. You can opt to receive those emails at this landing page.”

County Council Hearing on Clarksburg Master Plan (COMSAT)

MPI testimony in January 2025 helped to convince Montgomery County’s Historic Preservation Commission to recommend designating COMSAT on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation.

MPI urges you to be involved in the next step!

  1. Email the County Council before Jan. 20
  2. Attend the Montgomery County Council’s public hearing on the Planning Board Draft of the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan. Testimony may also be submitted in writing.

Read the Public Hearing Announcement

Did you know? In 2006, MPI organized a four-day design charette with architects, planners, and neighbors to demonstrate that the owner’s plans for development could easily share the site with the COMSAT building. The charette was followed with a talk by Mr. Pelli on the impact of this building on his internationally renowned body of work and the work of other architects.

Sign Up for Montgomery Planning’s Community Planning Academy

Montgomery Planning’s “exciting course is a unique opportunity to learn how planning and development decisions in Montgomery County are made and how you can make a difference in the land use decisions that impact your neighborhood! Whether you’re a community leader, local advocate, or simply curious, this free Academy offers a behind-the-scenes look at how planning works in 10 mobile-friendly modules, each lasting approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The Academy is open to everyone 18 and older and is available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. In-person opportunities to connect with subject matter experts will be available to participants.”

Read more about the Community Planning Academy

Maryland Legislative Update

Maryland Cemetery Legislative Advocates (MCLA) continues work to improve State protections for cemeteries. Two important bills – with House and Senate sponsors – are proposed for the 2026 Session. If passed, they would protect burial grounds from being neglected or erased and ensure that descendant communities, preservation efforts, and respectful treatment of the dead are at the center of decision-making in Maryland.

  1. Transfer of Ownership of Abandoned Cemeteries: This bill would create a legal pathway for a state, county, or municipal government to acquire abandoned cemeteries and transfer them to descendants, community groups, or nonprofits willing to maintain and preserve them. It enables entities, but does not require them to take action.
  2. Sale or Transfer of Cemeteries for Another Use: This proposal would require court review before any cemetery can be sold, transferred, or repurposed for non-cemetery use and would allow families, nonprofits, and community organizations to have a voice.

As these bills and others move through the legislative process, keep up through www.cpmbs.org.

Also notably, on December 1, the Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Sites Workgroup, created by the General Assembly and tasked with establishing a statewide cemetery database system, submited its final report and solid recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly. You can see this report on www.cpmbs.org.

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