News Release

CONTACT:
Marylou Berg, Communication Manager, 240-314-8105
    

City of Rockville Prepared to Accept New Development Applications
Development Moratorium Ends; Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Rezoning Effective Monday, March 16
 
Rockville, Md., March 10, 2009 - Rockville's development moratorium, in place since September 2007, will end as the City's new zoning ordinance and zoning map become effective Monday, March 16.

After more than three years of work by citizens, the Planning Commission, the Mayor and Council and City staff to comprehensively review and revise Rockville's zoning regulations, the Mayor and Council adopted a revised zoning ordinance and a comprehensive rezoning to implement the new zones on Dec. 15. 

In the three months since adoption, the City has revised its application forms and procedures, as well as portions of the City Code that reference the zoning ordinance. Several new forms and procedures have already been posted to the City's Web site at www.rockvillemd.gov/government/planning-zoning and the remaining forms will be posted by Monday, March 16.

The new zoning ordinance includes a number of significant changes from the current code. Among these are the following:

• A Pre-application Meeting (PAM) with City staff is required before project plan/ project plan amendment (PJT), site plan/ site plan amendment (STP), and special exception (SPX) applications can be filed. The PAM outlines the development proposal and initiates a meeting with the City's Development Review Committee and a planning project manager.
   
• Developers are required to hold an area meeting with surrounding residents and property owners is required for the above applications in order to allow the community to have input into development projects early in the process.
   
• Mixed-use zones, including retail, residential and office uses, will replace most of the current nonresidential (commercial and industrial) zones. 
   
• A new Park Zone will be applied to most City-owned parks.
   
• In the single-family residential zones, building height is limited to a maximum of 40 feet to the roof peak.
   
• Properties that become nonconforming under the new ordinance are generally allowed to remain and be rebuilt, even if damaged through an event outside the control of the owner.
   
• Planned developments that have been approved, such as King Farm, are placed in Planned Development zones so they will continue to be administered as originally approved.
   
• Off-street parking standards in mixed-use areas set maximum limits on the number of spaces.
   
• New procedures for reviewing development proposals that incorporate additional public input have been established.

Additional information, including a full copy the zoning ordinance and map and related documents, is available from the Department of Community Planning and Development Services at 240-314-8200 or on the City's Web site at www.rockvillemd.gov/government/planning-zoning.

                                                                                    ###