Development and Planning, Mayor and Council, Rockville Reports

Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Moves to Mayor and Council for Final Review

Rockville’s zoning ordinance rewrite and comprehensive map amendment have reached another milestone with the Planning Commission completing its review and forwarding recommendations to the Mayor and Council for consideration. 

The commission concluded its review Wednesday, Feb. 25, adopting advisory recommendations on the staff draft zoning ordinance and proposed zoning map. The recommendations do not change current law, but will guide the Mayor and Council as they begin their adoption phase of the process. 

The Mayor and Council will begin their review on Monday, April 13. During that meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m., public hearings will be held for both the zoning text amendment and the comprehensive map amendment, followed by a work session where the Mayor and Council will discuss the Planning Commission’s recommendations and provide direction on the staff draft zoning ordinance and draft zoning map. 

In following weeks, the Mayor and Council will hold a second set of public hearings on Monday, May 4 and a series of work sessions to consider the proposals. 

Members of the public who wish to testify will have three minutes per item; those representing an organization will have five minutes. 

Additional work sessions are planned to review the key changes in each article of the zoning ordinance. 

City staff will also update the staff draft ordinance and zoning map during the review process. A revised staff draft incorporating Mayor and Council direction, technical corrections and refinements to language is expected after the April 13 work session. A final staff draft reflecting additional guidance will be prepared in early June, following the final work session in May. 

The Mayor and Council are scheduled to take formal action on the zoning ordinance rewrite and comprehensive map amendment on Monday, July 6. 

Community members can continue to review materials and submit comments on the draft ordinance and zoning map through the project page on Engage Rockville. Feedback submitted through the site will be shared with the Mayor and Council throughout the review process. 

More information about the project and next steps is available at engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite.