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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.
NEW A total of nearly 100 interested visitors attended the public Open Houses held on April 20 and 21. Proposed key elements of the rewrite displayed in interactive stations elicited comments and feedback from participants. Couldn't attend our April Open Houses? Browse our virtual displays and add your thoughts to our comment board.
Type your comments in any or all of the boxes below and click "submit". Email addresses will not be displayed.
- Display 1: Project objectives(pdf, 2.1MB)
Patchwork additions to the zoning code have created a confusing, disorderly, complex document over 1,000 pages long that can hardly be considered user friendly. The world has changed dramatically since it was last rewritten in 1977. A new zoning code should reposition the county in a new era by laying the framework for how we can protect established neighborhoods and continue to grow. This poster lays out the objectives for the entire rewrite project. - Display 2: Parking (pdf, 764KB)
In general, the current parking and loading standards are excessive and there is little flexibility for alternative parking. Parking ratios must be modernized. Also, bicycle parking standards are overly simple and standards should reflect the needs of various users. Further, availability of transit should be considered as an offset to required parking. Considering best practices and addressing local needs, the rewrite will improve parking standards so the County's future development pattern is modern and sustainable. - Display 3: Restructuring zones (pdf, 7.9MB) / Maximum Density (pdf, 2.9MB)
The zoning code rewrite will protect existing neighborhoods and the Agricultural Reserve, while improving the mix of uses, design of buildings, and provision of amenities in commercial and mixed use areas. Zone restructuring will enable the County to better regulate density and height. Much of the County's land area will see no substantive zoning change (97.4%) and land areas that are restructured (2.6% of the County) will be commercial, mixed use, or industrial zones. - Display 4: Simplifying land uses (pdf, 401KB) / Current and Proposed Land Use Table (pdf, 401KB)
The Land Use Table displayed at this station shows in which zones each use is permitted by right, permitted by special exception, or not allowed. The current zoning code has 433 allowed uses. Many of them are redundant: there are 18 different office uses, and both "Golf Courses, Miniature" and "Miniature Golf" are listed. Other uses are antiquated: abattoirs, foundries, and millinery shops are still included. - Display 5: Sustainability (pdf, 1.3MB)
It is important to consider areas in the code where sustainable practices may be incorporated. It is also necessary to ensure that there are no zoning barriers in place that make it difficult to incorporate sustainable concepts and practices into all of the County's regulations, codes, and manual guidelines. Does Montgomery County want to be a leader in sustainability? What are we doing well and what should we improve? - Display 6: Development standards (pdf, 514KB)
Development standards apply to each zone in the code and typically define the overall quality of any particular project. Elements such as landscaping, lighting, or parking set the stage for the public's impression of site quality. Currently, development standards are attached to use and appear in sections of the code labeled "development standards" and "special regulations." The new zoning code should contain a matrix that clearly shows whether physical improvement or a change in use would trigger compliance. This would remove redundancy and inconsistency in application of standards which results from the current code.
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 nearly 1200. 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 by the end of 2012. The draft text of a new code should be ready in the Fall of 2011. 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