Subject
title
Public Hearing #1 on Zoning Text Amendment Application TXT2026-00271, for the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR); Mayor and Council of Rockville, Applicants
end
Department
CPDS - Zoning Review & Other
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council hold the public hearing on Zoning Text Amendment TXT2026-00271, the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite.
Change in Law or Policy
Upon adoption, the draft Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map will significantly modify the laws that govern land use in the city, in fulfillment of the zoning text and map recommendations of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan and Town Center Master Plan.
Discussion
Project History
In 2023, the city began a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s Zoning Ordinance. This project, known as the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR), began after the adoption of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The ZOR project will produce a new Zoning Ordinance for the City of Rockville. In conjunction with the ZOR, the city’s zoning map will be updated through a Comprehensive Map Amendment (CMA) to the city’s official zoning map.
The ZOR and CMA are undertaken concurrently but will be adopted separately. The new Zoning Ordinance will be adopted as a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA), while the new zoning map will be adopted through a separate Map Amendment application.
Adoption Process
On December 1, the Rockville Mayor and Council authorized that applications for the Staff’s recommended drafts of the ZTA and CMA be filed (colloquially called the “Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance” and “Staff Draft zoning map”). Authorization to file initiated the formal public review and adoption process.
The adoption process consists of a series of public hearings and work sessions in which the Staff Drafts are reviewed, first by the city’s Planning Commission and then by the Mayor and Council. The Planning Commission’s review culminated on February 25 with the production of recommendation memos addressed to the Mayor and Council. The Mayor and Council’s review begins with this first evening’s public hearings and work session and will culminate in the Mayor and Council’s adoption of the ordinances into law. During the review process, community members are also able to review, comment, and testify on the Staff Drafts.
This public hearing is the first of two public hearings on the ZTA that the Mayor and Council will hold during the adoption process, with the second scheduled for May 4, 2026. Public hearings on the associated CMA are scheduled for the same meetings.
The brief book for the ZTA includes written public comment received through March 25 (see Attachment 1 - ZTA Public Comment Digest). In addition to those materials, the following can be accessed via the project webpage, engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite <https://engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite>:
• Highlights: Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance;
• Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance Table of Contents;
• Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance (full text);and
• Staff Draft Zoning Map.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council approved a project charter for the ZOR and CMA in October 2022. From project initiation to the time drafting of the new ordinance began in January 2025, staff provided periodic updates on the project via email. During the drafting phase of the project, the Mayor and Council held work sessions on a variety of topics to provide guidance to staff in drafting the new ordinance. These work sessions were as follows:
• January 27, 2025: Comprehensive Map Amendment
• April 24, 2025: Process improvements
• May 5, 2025: New zones, revisions to existing zones, height transitions, and CMA follow-up
• August 4, 2025: Land uses, parking, and process improvement follow-up
• October 6, 2025: Remaining topics, including Historic Preservation, Amenity Space, Nonconformities, Subdivision & Plats, Approval Findings, Neighborhood Conservation District Plans, and CMA follow-up
The Mayor and Council authorized the filing of the ZTA and CMA applications on December 1, 2025.
Public Notification and Engagement
Engagement for the ZOR and CMA has been ongoing since Fall 2024. In the time since the last staff report was written for Mayor and Council Authorization to File on December 1, 2025, staff have conducted notification and engagement actions, as follows:
• Rockville Reports, City social media channels, email blasts, and newsletters to inform the community about the adoption process, scheduled meetings (both community meetings and Mayor and Council/Planning Commission work sessions), and opportunities to learn more.
• Virtual orientation sessions on December 4, 2025, and January 7, 2026, to help the public understand how and where to review the Staff Drafts. 8 and 9 people attended, respectively.
• Direct emails to all Rockville neighborhood associations providing notice of the Staff Draft publication and ongoing review and adoption process.
• In-person meeting with neighborhood associations, as follows:
o Twinbrook Community Association, January 20, 2025
• Newspaper notice of the April 13 and May 4 public hearings, as required by law.
Finally, this project also builds on and furthers the goals and policies established through the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Extensive outreach and engagement were conducted over a period of five years to inform the Rockville 2040 Plan.
Boards and Commissions Review
Adoption Process
The adoption process began with the Planning Commission review. The Planning Commission held public hearings and work sessions on January 14 and 28 and February 4 and 11. During work sessions, the Planning Commission considered topics of interest as identified by the Commission, the Mayor and Council, and staff, as well as topics raised in public comment. The Commission considered potential revisions to the Staff Drafts, ultimately adopting their recommendations to the Mayor and Council on February 25. Additional information regarding Planning Commission recommendations is contained above in the “Planning Commission Recommendations” section of this staff report.
During the adoption process, staff also offered all City boards and commissions the opportunity to learn about the project, including how to provide input during the adoption process. The following boards and commissions accepted this offer and received project briefings:
• Board of Appeals, December 17, 2025
• Environment Commission, January 8, 2026
• Community Policing Advisory Board, January 8, 2026
• Commission on Aging, January 15, 2026
• Historic District Commission, January 15, 2026
• Recreation and Park Advisory Board, January 22, 2025
• Transportation and Mobility Commission, January 27, 2026
• Youth Commission, February 11, 2026
• Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Commission, February 12, 2026
• Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee, March 4, 2026
• Cultural Arts Commission, March 11, 2026
Pre-Adoption Process
Prior to the adoption process, the Planning Commission received regular updates on project progress. The Environment Commission and the Transportation and Mobility Commission also requested and received briefings on November 7, 2024, and May 27, 2025, respectively. Additionally, the Historic District Commission was briefed on the project and provided feedback on the proposed changes to historic preservation regulations at their meeting on July 17, 2025.
Next Steps
Adoption Process
The following schedule outlines the Mayor and Council adoption process, including two public hearings each for the ZOR and CMA, and four work sessions. Three of the work sessions are devoted to review and discussion of the “Key Changes” identified by the article in Highlights: Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance.
The schedule further anticipates two updates to the Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance and zoning map, as follows:
1. On April 20, Revised Staff Drafts of the Zoning Ordinance and zoning map will be produced and posted to the Engage Rockville project page, engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite <https://engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite>. Both will reflect direction from the Mayor and Council received on April 13, along with technical corrections and plain language revisions.
2. On June 1, Final Staff Drafts of the Zoning Ordinance and zoning map will be produced and posted to the Engage Rockville project page. Both will reflect direction from Mayor and Council received on or before May 18, along with technical corrections.
Adoption is planned for July 6, 2026.
|
Mayor and Council Meeting |
Topic |
|
April 13, 2026 ZOR public hearing #1 CMA public hearing #1 Work session #1 |
Public hearings are formal opportunities for the public to provide oral testimony to the Mayor and Council. Because the ZOR and CMA are two separate legislative items, individual public hearings for each item will be held. • Members of the general public will be afforded 3 minutes per item. • Those representing an organization will be afforded 5 minutes per item. Discussion and direction on Planning Commission recommendations • Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance • Staff Draft zoning map |
|
April 20, 2026 |
Publish Revised Staff Drafts to Engage Rockville |
|
May 4, 2026 ZOR public hearing #2 CMA public hearing #2 Work session #2 |
Public hearings (see notes above) Discussion and direction on Articles 1-5 • 1: General Provisions • 2: Definitions, Interpretations, & Measurement • 3: Administration • 4: Development Applications, Permits, & Procedures • 5: Zones & Zoning Map |
|
May 11, 2026 Work session #3 |
Discussion and direction on Articles 6-8 • 6: Uses & Use Standards • 7: Zone Standards • 8: General Development Requirements |
|
May 18, 2026 Work session #4 |
Discussion and direction on Articles 9-13 • 9: Nonconformities • 10: Signs • 11: Historic Preservation • 12: Plats & Subdivision • 13: Enforcement Update on State legislation |
|
June 1, 2026 |
Publish Final Staff Drafts to Engage Rockville |
|
July 6, 2026 ZOR adoption CMA adoption |
Direction on the Final Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance Mayor and Council take formal action to adopt the ZOR and CMA. This will require two separate votes, one for each legislative item. |
Post-Adoption
Finally, it is important to recognize that the Zoning Ordinance and zoning map are living documents. While the ZOR and CMA effort is intended to produce the strongest possible versions for adoption on July 6, these documents will be tested most effectively through their application and administration over time.
The Zoning Ordinance establishes processes for amending both the text and the zoning map, and periodic amendments are anticipated as part of implementation. For context, since the last comprehensive Zoning Ordinance rewrite in 2009, the city has processed 40 Zoning Text Amendments, including 6 within the first two years of adoption. Early refinements are common following comprehensive updates, as real-world use identifies opportunities for clarification, technical corrections, and policy adjustments.