Subject
title
Adoption of Ordinance to Approve Zoning Text Amendment Application TXT2026-00271, for the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite; Mayor and Council of Rockville, Applicants
end
Department
CPDS - Zoning Review & Other
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council adopt the draft ordinance to approve Zoning Text Amendment Application No. TXT2025-00271, that will repeal the current Chapter 25 of the City Code, with the draft included as Attachment 2 - Chapter 25: Zoning Ordinance.
To adopt the ordinance, the Mayor and Council must first introduce it, and if a motion to waive the layover period is approved by a supermajority of the Mayor and Council, the body may then proceed to a motion to adopt.
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 Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan’s zoning text and rezoning recommendations.
Discussion
Background
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 project has the following objectives:
• Implement many of the recommended land use actions identified in the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan, including implementing the Plan’s zoning recommendations.
• Accomplish goals from the city’s ongoing FAST Initiative, making the development review and permitting process Faster, Accountable, Smarter and Transparent.
• Incorporate planning and zoning best practices that have become common in the field of urban planning and in other similarly situated communities.
• Incorporate the city’s commitment to equity, resilience, and sustainability.
• Ensure compliance with current federal and state regulations.
• Create a modern ordinance that can accommodate the changing living, working, and lifestyles of the 21st century.
• Create a user-friendly, accessible, and well-organized document.
The ZOR and CMA are undertaken concurrently but are adopted as two separate actions. 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 ordinance to approve that application.
Adoption
The adoption process began with the Planning Commission review and recommendation in January and February 2026. Following the Planning Commission’s recommendation, the Mayor and Council conducted four work sessions and three public hearings for the Zoning Text Amendment between April and June of 2026. A Final Staff Draft of the Zoning Ordinance and associated materials were published to Engage Rockville on June 15, 2026. The Final Staff Drafts reflect all direction received from the Mayor and Council during the adoption process, along with various technical corrections and minor policy changes.
Changes in the Final Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance
Attachment 1 - Changes in the Final Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance reflect changes to the document following publication of the Revised Staff Draft. It catalogues substantive corrections, policy direction provided by Mayor and Council, and minor policy changes that either respond to public comment or were identified by staff. It also summarizes the guidance and direction provided by the Mayor and Council during work sessions beginning in January 2025.
Two changes that are reflected in this document but which are also worth highlighting in this staff report are as follows:
• Increase the maximum allowable base height in the RMD-15 zone to 55 feet for any property abutting I-270 that was undeveloped on the effective date of the ordinance.
• Increase the maximum allowable base height in the MXCD zone to 125 feet, thereby increasing the maximum height along large sections of the Rockville Pike corridor outside of Metro station areas.
Additional materials
Written public comments received through June 9 are linked here: ZOR Public Comment Digest, June 9, 2026 <https://engagerockville.com/25887/widgets/88678/documents/82485>.
The following materials can be accessed via the project webpage, engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite </..//../Users/jwasilak/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Olk/Attachments/ooa-1d340a77-5d6d-4c19-8c0b-7e34da7eaf70/26d5bcb2421e244cd3ca0f5db9a255166f2a9b0182cada4e747b9a8caec31e9c/engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite>:
• Original Staff Drafts, Authorized for Filing on December 1, 2025
o Highlights: Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance
o Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance Table of Contents
o Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance (full text)
o Staff Draft Zoning Map
• Revised Staff Draft published to Engage Rockville on April 20, 2026
o Changes in the Revised Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance
o Revised Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance Table of Contents
o Revised Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance ("Clean" Version)
o Revised Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance ("Redline" Version)
o Revised Staff Draft zoning map
• Final Staff Draft published to Engage Rockville on June 15, 2026
o Changes in the Final Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance
o Final Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance Table of Contents
o Final Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance ("Clean" Version)
o Final Staff Draft Zoning Ordinance ("Redline" Version)
o Final Staff Draft zoning map
Adoption of the ordinance will repeal the existing Zoning Ordinance and replace it with the attached draft. The effective date of the new ordinance is proposed to be August 1, 2026.
Impact Statements
Equity
The new Zoning Ordinances will advance equity through modernized development regulations and processes. Key equity-related elements include:
• Supporting a broader range of housing types, including middle housing, which is anticipated to expand housing opportunities for individuals of different ages, incomes, household sizes, and abilities;
• Establishing more predictable, transparent, and streamlined development processes, benefiting residents and property owners;
• Increasing the clarity and objectivity of development standards, thereby reducing subjectivity and discretion in decision-making;
• Eliminating standards and language that may have historically resulted in exclusive practices;
• Reducing regulations impacting small and local businesses; and
• Enhancing the ordinance’s accessibility and user-friendliness by restructuring the ordinance and introducing high-quality graphics.
The updated zoning map will expand opportunities for additional housing, employment, and community-serving uses in targeted areas of the city, potentially improving access to amenities and transit for current and future residents.
Together, these changes and others help advance to foster inclusive growth, improve access to opportunity, and ensure that the benefits of future development are more broadly shared across the community.
Environment
The new Zoning Ordinance incentivizes transit-oriented development through modernized standards, particularly those related to height and parking. The updated zoning map upzones areas near transit opportunities, directing future growth toward the City’s densest, transit-oriented areas. Updated standards also support walkability and bicycle access, which support the City’s Vision Zero goals and may lead to more residents walking and biking. These items can help reduce dependence on automobile travel, lower vehicle miles traveled, and contribute to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Economy
The new Zoning Ordinance will help to strengthen the City’s economy by creating a more predictable, transparent, and user-friendly regulatory framework for investment and development. Clear and objective zoning standards reduce uncertainty for property owners, businesses, and developers while supporting the community’s goals. Development processes with increased predictability can enhance the City’s competitiveness in attracting private development, supporting business expansion, and encouraging redevelopment and infill development where desired.
The new Zoning Ordinance and updated zoning map will also help to foster a resilient local economy by allowing for a greater diversity of housing, commercial, employment, and mixed-use opportunities. By supporting transit and activity centers, neighborhood-serving businesses, and a broader range of housing types, the ordinances can contribute to job creation, business attraction and retention, and an expanded tax base. While adoption of these ordinances will not directly result in private investment, it is anticipated that the regulatory framework established by the ordinances will position the City to accommodate future growth while maintaining and enhancing the high quality of life that attracts residents, employers, and visitors to Rockville.
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 on the following dates: January 27, April 24, May 5, August 4, and October 6, 2025.
The Mayor and Council authorized the filing of the ZTA and CMA applications on December 1, 2025. This action formally began the project’s adoption process. During the adoption process, the Mayor and Council held four work sessions (on April 13, May 4, May 11, and June 1, 2026) and six public hearings (on April 13, May 4, and May 11).
Public Notification and Engagement
Engagement for the ZOR and CMA has been ongoing since Fall 2024. During the adoption process (beginning December 1, 2025), staff have conducted notification and engagement actions, as follows:
• Rockville Reports, the Development Watch Newsletter, 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, 2026
o New Mark Commons Homes Association, May 7, 2026
o Markwood residents, May 8, 2026
• Newspaper notice of the April 13, May 4, and May 11 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.
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
Comment letters were received from the following boards and commissions:
• Transportation & Mobility Commission, April 10, 2026
• Environment Commission, April 10, 2026
• Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Commission, April 10, 2026
• Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee, April 10, 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
Following adoption, the proposed ordinance will become effective on August 1. Staff will notify the community of the ordinance’s adoption through various means such as Engage Rockville, Rockville Reports, and the Development Watch Newsletter.