Zoning Code Amendments and Interpretations

Zoning for specific properties and neighborhoods can change to meet the needs of the community through formal text and map amendment applications, as well as the master plan process. Interpretations of the Zoning Ordinance clarify the application and administration of zoning and land use regulations.

Zoning Code Amendments

Zoning Ordinance text amendments are changes to sections of the Zoning Ordinance to address specific issues. The Zoning Ordinance is updated periodically to incorporate these changes in the official text. The following text amendments have been incorporated into the current version of the Zoning Ordinance: 

TXT2025-00269

TXT2024-00266
Authorized for filing by Mayor and Council January 8, 2024
Planning Commission Staff Report of March 13, 2024
Mayor and Council public hearing tentatively scheduled for July 8, 2024

TXT2024-00265
Authorized for filing by Mayor and Council September 18, 2023
Planning Commission briefing scheduled for December 13, 2023
Mayor and Council public hearing to be scheduled

TXT2024-00264
Authorized for filing by Mayor and Council March 27, 2023
Planning Commission briefing to be scheduled
Mayor and Council public hearing to be scheduled

Authorized for filing by Mayor and Council January 23, 2023
Ordinance adopted October 9, 2023; effective April 9, 2024

Authorized for filing by Mayor and Council May 22, 2023
Planning Commission Staff Report of July 12, 2023
Mayor and Council public hearing to be scheduled

Authorized for filing by Mayor and Council July 11, 2022
Ordinance adopted October 9, 2023; effective immediately

Draft Text Amendment
TXT2021-00260
Filed May 5, 2021
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Ordinance adopted on October 25, 2021

TXT2021-00259
Filed by applicant March 31, 2021
Denied by Mayor and Council December 5, 2022
Resolution adopted on December 5, 2022

TXT2021-00258(PDF)
Filed December 14, 2020
Planning Commission Staff Report
Ordinance adopted on September 27, 2021

Authorized for filing by Mayor and Council June 8, 2020
Ordinance adopted February 1, 2021; effective immediately

TXT2020-00256(PDF)
Filed January 13, 2020
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Ordinance adopted February 28, 2022; effective immediately

TXT2019-00255(PDF)
Filed April 9, 2019; reauthorized by Mayor and Council January 23, 2023
Planning Commission Staff Report of June 14, 2023
Mayor and Council Public Hearing to be scheduled

TXT2019-00254(PDF)
Filed April 9, 2019
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on July 15, 2019
Ordinance adopted on July 18, 2022

TXT2019-00253(PDF)
Filed April 9, 2019
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on June 3, 2019
Ordinance adopted on July 8, 2019

TXT2019-00252(PDF)
APFS Revision
Filed April 9, 2019
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held June 3, 2019
Ordinance  (PDF) adopted on July 8, 2019
Resolution (PDF) adopted on July 8, 2019

TXT2019-00251(PDF)
Filed April 2, 2019
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing to be scheduled

TXT2019-00250(PDF)
Filed October 16, 2018
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on May 13, 2019
Ordinance (PDF)-adopted on October 21, 2019

TXT2018-00249 (PDF)
Filed May 21, 2018
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on September 17, 2018
Ordinance (PDF)-adopted on January 07, 2019

TXT2018-00248 (PDF)
Filed January 23, 2018
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on February 26, 2018
Ordinance (PDF) adopted on April 9, 2018

TXT2018-00247 (PDF)
Filed July 18, 2017
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on October 16, 2017
Ordinance (PDF) adopted on January 22, 2018

TXT2018-00246 (PDF)
Filed July 11, 2017
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF) 
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on September 11, 2017
Ordinance (PDF) adopted on February 5, 2018

TXT2018-00245 (PDF)
Filed July 11, 2017
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendations (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on September 18, 2017
Ordinance (PDF) adopted on December 04, 2017

TXT2016-00244 (PDF)
Filed February 3, 2016
Planning Commission Staff Report
Planning Commission Recommendation
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on September 18, 2017

TXT2016-00243 (PDF)
Filed August 4, 2015
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council Public Hearing held on September 21, 2015
Ordinance (PDF) adopted October 12, 2015

TXT2015-00242 (PDF)
Filed February 6, 2015
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF) 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on April 13, 2015
Ordinance (PDF) adopted May 11, 2015

TXT2015-00241 (PDF)
Amendment to the Landscaping Screening and Lighting Manual (PDF)
Filed February 3, 2015
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council public hearing held on April 20, 2015
Ordinance (PDF) adopted May 18, 2015

TXT2015-00240 (PDF)
Filed January 13, 2015
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council public hearing held on March 2, 2015
Ordinance (PDF) adopted March 30, 2015

TXT2015-00239 (PDF)
Filed November 17, 2014
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council public hearing held on December 15, 2014
Ordinance (PDF) adopted February 2, 2015

Ordinance adopted September 15, 2014 (PDF)

TXT2014-00238 (PDF)
Filed May 22, 2014
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission Recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council public hearing held on September 15, 2014
Ordinance (PDF) adopted October 13, 2014

TXT2014-00237 (PDF)
Filed December 24, 2013
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF) 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on January 27, 2014 
Ordinance adopted February 10, 2014 (PDF)

TXT2014-00236 (PDF) 
Authorized for filing by the Mayor and Council on September 16, 2013
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF) 
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF) 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on December 9, 2013 
Ordinance adopted April 21, 2014 (PDF)

TXT2013-00235 (PDF)
Authorized for filing by the Mayor and Council on November 5, 2012 
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF) 
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF) 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on January 14, 2013 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted February 11, 2013.

TXT2012-00234 (PDF) 
Authorized for filing by the Mayor and Council on April 2, 2012
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF) 
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF) 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on June 11, 2012
Ordinance (PDF) adopted July 30, 2012

TXT2012-00233 (PDF)
Authorized for filing by the Mayor and Council on January 9, 2012
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF) 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on March 26, 2012
Ordinance (PDF) adopted May 7, 2012

TXT2012-00232 (PDF) 
Filed November 3, 2011
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF)
Mayor and Council public hearing held on June 11, 2012 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted September 24, 2012

TXT2012-00231 (PDF) 
Authorized for filing by the Mayor and Council on September 19, 2011 
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF) 
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF) 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted January 30, 2012

Revisions to the definitions, site plan review process, land uses and other corrections and clarifications. 

TXT2011-00230 (PDF)
Authorized for filing by the Mayor and Council on February 14, 2011
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF) 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted June 6, 2011

TXT2011-00229 (PDF)
Consideration to exempt properties subject to an annexation agreement from the APFO requirements
Filed January 18, 2011
Withdrawn by applicant November 7, 2011

TXT2010-00228 (PDF)
Filed June 30, 2010
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF) 
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF), October 14, 2010 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on October 25, 2010 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted December 13, 2010

TXT2010-00227 (PDF)
Required implementation periods extended for approved development projects to June 30, 2012
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF) 
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF), May 5, 2010 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted June 21, 2010

TXT2010-00226 (PDF)
Filed March 24, 2010
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF), May 12, 2010 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on June 7, 2010 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted September 20, 2010

Requires minimum street frontage in the single unit detached and mixed-use zones; allows fences taller than 48″ in the PD zones. Filed March 16, 2010 

TXT2010-00225 (PDF)
Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF) 
Planning Commission review and recommendation (PDF), May 12, 2010 
Mayor and Council public hearing held on June 7, 2010 
Ordinance (PDF) adopted September 13, 2010

TXT2010-00224 (PDF) 
Adopted February 8, 2010 by Ordinance 2-10 – included in the current ordinance

Zoning Code Interpretations

Section 25.06.04 of the Rockville City Code empowers the chief of zoning to interpret the Zoning Ordinance when there is a need for clarity in the application and administration of zoning and land use regulations, either generally or as applied to a specific property. To this end, the chief of zoning issues written determinations and advice memorializing such interpretations to provide guidance on the policies and practices staff follows in applying specific zoning regulations. Determinations are appealable to the Board of Appeals within 30 days from the official letter of notification of the decision.