Updated code improves usability, simplifies development process
Montgomery County has taken a giant step forward in improving the planning and development process and making the county a more desirable place to live. After years of community meetings, stakeholder discussions, work sessions and redrafting, the Montgomery County Planning Department, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has completed a new zoning ordinance and a new comprehensive zoning map for the county, both of which were approved by the Montgomery County Council.
The new law takes effect on October 30, 2014. It is the most comprehensive update to the County’s land use regulations since they were last revised in 1977. Piecemeal updates to the code over the past several decades resulted in a document with more than 1,200 pages, more than 120 zones, more than 400 uses, hundreds of footnotes and many confusing and sometimes contradictory provisions. The new Zoning Ordinance is a vast improvement over the former code in being more user-friendly and up-to-date. It embraces the most current planning concepts and offers new tools to achieve the goals of the county’s master plans. The zoning ordinance encourages better development, enhances sustainability, and enables more mixed use zoning.
The new Zoning Code seeks to bring more vibrancy to Montgomery County by encouraging mixed-use, walkable communities. The law allows flexibility for more housing in and around commercial centers and encourages more pedestrian-friendly, sustainable developments while providing greater protections from new and infill development for existing residential neighborhoods. In addition, it improves the efficiency of the development review process by allowing more consolidated plan reviews, reducing redundant requirements and codifying review deadlines.
History and Goals of the New Zoning Ordinance
Since the last major update to the zoning code in 1977, the County has grown and changed substantially, and many of the zoning laws have become outdated. The County Council tasked the Planning Department with undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of the zoning code in 2007 with the following goals in mind:
-simplify and consolidate the regulations;
-improve their clarity and consistency;
-accommodate the county’s changing markets and demographics, while protecting established neighborhoods;
-reflect more sustainable policy goals;
-provide the tools to shift from greenfield development to infill, mixed-use development.
After an extensive public review process, the Planning Board approved a draft of the new code and presented it to the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee of the County Council in May 2013. Numerous open houses, community meetings and discussions in local neighborhoods provided feedback from residents and property owners on the code and associated zoning map. In March 2014, after 15 work sessions at the PHED and Council, the Council adopted the text of the new zoning ordinance.
In July 2014, following months of public outreach, the Council approved a District Map Amendment to implement the new code.
Implementing Change through Development Review and Outreach
The rewritten zoning ordinance includes a provision requiring specific time frames for each major step of the development review process. Department staff is currently working to implement these time frames. A specific, written schedule for each development project will allow the review of project, sketch and site plans to be accomplished in 120 days, as required in the new Zoning Ordinance.
A voluntary concept plan process will allow plans to be reviewed by staff at a very early stage so that major concerns can be identified and hopefully resolved without slowing down the review process. The goal of this revamped review process is to make doing business in Montgomery County more predictable.
In addition, the Planning Department is conducting staff and public training sessions to ensure a smooth transition to the new zoning ordinance. On October 7, the Department held an evening event for the Montgomery County community that included a presentation of the zoning changes and a question and answer segment. The event drew 70 people.
View the video of the community training on the Zoning Ordinance held on Tuesday, October 7 at the Planning Department Headquarters.