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If you want to stay on top of all of Montgomery County’s Zoning Rewrite initiatives, attend public meetings and chart our progress, sign up today to receive our regular email updates. Also, feel free to call 301-495-4512 or email Lois Villemaire with any questions.
Comment board
The Zoning Code rewrite is a three-year initiative to address an old, unwieldy and antiquated ordinance. The revision aims to simplify the code by reducing redundancies and better organizing the format to improve accessibility.Tell planners what you think! We will review your thoughts for potential inclusion in the zoning rewrite.Type your comments in any or all of the boxes below and click ‘submit’. Email addresses will not be displayed.
- In the last several years, have you had to consider a zoning issue in Montgomery County? If so, what was the issue and how would you describe your experience in resolving it?
- In your experience, what aspects of the County’s current zoning regulations are difficult to work with or understand?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is zoning?
Why rewrite the zoning code?
What is the current status of the Rewrite?
What resources are available?
Who is working on rewriting the code?
How long will this process take?
What is zoning?
Zoning originated in the early 1900s to keep incompatible uses away from nearby properties. The primary impetus for early zoning regulations was to keep polluting factories, common during the industrialization of the nation, from encroaching upon residential areas. However, as the economy, development patterns, and sense of community have evolved, so has zoning. Zoning regulations now focus as much on building form, design, and encouraging integrated communities as they do on separating nuisances.
Why rewrite the zoning code?
Montgomery County has had a zoning code since 1928. Since then, the code has undergone many amendments, but has not been comprehensively revised since 1977. Obviously, much has changed across the County since the 1970s – both in terms of typical American life and ideas on how we should live. Although Montgomery County has been in the forefront of zoning innovation, the existing code has become a patchwork of great ideas of their time that fail to achieve an overall goal because its standards can't create the communities we are seeking. Over time, outdated provisions haven't been removed while new, sometimes conflicting standards have been added. In 1977, the code was a mere 274 pages; today it’s over 1000. In the past year alone, the ordinance has grown by 100 pages. The time has come to comprehensively rethink the entire ordinance.
What is the current status of the Rewrite?
The Rewrite project is progressing. Montgomery County planners continue to meet with a team of nationally-recognized consultants to exchange and debate innovative ideas as we work toward the goal of a more relevant zoning code that addresses the County's current and future needs. Earlier in the process, planners analyzed the current zoning ordinance and published the award-winning Zoning Discovery, a document
that illustrates the code's conflicting, outdated, and redundant standards.
What resources are available?
Several documents available online provide additional information about the project.
Who is working on rewriting the code?
Planners from the Montgomery County Planning Department are working in coordination with other County agencies and a team of nationally-recognized consultants to improve the zoning ordinance. Additionally, a citizen panel has been appointed by the Planning Board to weigh in on the project’s direction and advise staff.
How long will this process take?
The Rewrite began in 2008 and is projected to be complete in the Fall of 2011. The draft text of a new code should be ready by the end of 2010. Feel free to scroll through the timeline below for more details.
Zoning timeline
Click and drag to view the timeline schedule.
Montgomery County Planning Department