A new 168-page master plan for the downtown area of Bethesda, Maryland, was unanimously approved in July by the Montgomery County Planning Board. The plan, if it passes through the final public hearing review expected to take place in October, would add pedestrian-friendly streets, green spaces, affordable housing, energy-efficient buildings and more to the downtown area. The Montgomery County Planning Board has spent more than a year conducting 16 sessions reviewing potential zoning for properties in Downtown Bethesda, determining height and density allowed in the community. The Bethesda Downtown Plan sent for approval includes a specific zoning for the downtown area, which was a change made after the release of the public hearing draft on May 15, 2015. Rendering of Norfolk Avenu…