Subject
title
Authorization to File a Zoning Text Amendment to Implement Certain Zoning Recommendations of the Town Center Master Plan, Including Implementation of Floating Zones
end
Department
CPDS - Zoning Review & Other
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council consider authorizing the filing of the draft Text Amendment (see Attachment 1 above, Draft Town Center Interim Zone ZTA) to implement the floating zone recommendations of the 2025 Rockville Town Center Master Plan and refer the proposed text amendment to the Planning Commission for recommendation.
Change in Law or Policy
The Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) proposes the following modifications to Sec. 25.14.35, Interim Comprehensive Plan Floating Zones, of the Rockville Zoning Ordinance to add three new floating zones and associated development standards that apply in the Town Center.
Discussion
Background
On January 27, 2025, the Mayor and Council adopted the 2025 Rockville Town Center Master Plan (TCMP), as an amendment to the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Although the city is currently pursuing a Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) and Comprehensive Map Amendment (CMA) to implement land use and zoning recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan, a zoning text amendment is proposed to allow development that is supported by the TCMP to move forward in advance of the ZOR and CMA adoptions scheduled for 2026. By promptly implementing the zoning ordinance changes, the city has a greater opportunity to attract new residential developments to meet the goal of 3,000 new residential units by 2040. The recommendations included in the TCMP have been derived from a recent and extensive public process and the ZTA is consistent with them. The ZTA proposes implementing several significant recommendations from the TCMP. Specifically, the ZTA will provide for the increased building heights including the associated incentives, no minimum parking requirements, and clarifying that ground floor retail shall not be required in Town Center. These align with Actions 1.1.1, 1.1.2 and 2.1.1 from the TCMP. Staff are following the same model for floating zones to implement a plan in the near term as was established in 2023 by the interim floating zone to implement the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan, as adopted in August 2021. As such, there should be general support for the ZTA in implementing these recommendations.
Sec. 25.14.35 - Interim Comprehensive Plan Floating Zones
Under this ZTA, proposed floating zones may be utilized through an optional map amendment process that was established in 2023. Under this process, an applicant may apply for a change in zoning and a development proposal in the form of a project plan that is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. This combined process includes community input, as with all development projects, with the final decision by the Mayor and Council. The optional process requires the applicant to provide additional benefits to the City such as more open space, enhanced pedestrian facilities, wayfinding, affordable housing, or other positive aspects that exceed code requirements.
The TCMP amends the Land Use Policy Map for Planning Area 1 and includes land use recommendations for three “character areas” within the Town Center. To implement these recommendations, new zones are proposed in Planning Area 1 as part of the ZOR and CMA. Because the ZOR and CMA process is ongoing, this amendment will create floating zones that can be applied within Planning Area 1 in the near term, prior to the creation of the new zones and adoption of the CMA, which will be required to fully implement the Comprehensive Plan and Town Center Master Plan. These floating zones would allow for a change in land use and redevelopment consistent with the recommendations of the Town Center Master Plan.
Creating floating zones is a two-step process. The first step is the development and adoption of floating zone regulations, which do not initially apply to any particular property, but allow for the zone to be applied to a property if requested. The second step is rezoning the property through a public review and a final decision by the Mayor and Council via the Floating Zone Map Amendment process. The implementation of a floating zone also includes the approval of a development project for the property in the form of a Project Plan application reviewed and acted on following the Floating Zone Map Amendment decision.
The ZTA proposes to create three new interim comprehensive plan floating zones that correspond to the three character areas identified in the TCMP: the MD-355 Corridor, the Core, and the Edge. The interim floating zones are named the MD-355 Corridor Character Area - Floating Zone (Corridor-FZ), the Core Character Area - Floating Zone (CCA-FZ), and the Edge Character Area - Floating Zone (ECA-FZ) accordingly. Since these proposed zones are only conceptual in describing the future land use goals and are not actual zoning districts with a complete description of uses, setbacks, and other such standards, an equivalent zoning category must be referenced. The equivalent zones are as follows:
|
Character Area / Floating Zone |
Equivalent Zone |
|
MD-355 Corridor Character Area (Corridor-FZ) |
Mixed Use Transit District (MXTD) |
|
Core Character Area (CCA-FZ) |
Mixed Use Transit District (MXTD) |
|
Edge Character Area (ECA-FZ) |
Mixed Use Corridor District (MXCD) |
The Mixed-Use Transit District (MXTD) Zone is proposed as the equivalent zone for both the MD-355 Corridor and Core character areas, as this zone is currently the city’s highest-density mixed-use zone and imposes standards tailored to transit-oriented development. The Mixed-Use Corridor District (MXCD) Zone is proposed for the Edge character area, as this zone is currently the city’s second-highest density mixed-use zone.
The ZTA and associated floating zones identify the heights that should be allowed in each character area, in alignment with the heights called for in the TCMP through Actions 1.1.1 and 1.1.2. The heights in the ZTA are as follows:
|
Character Area / Floating Zone |
Base Height |
Bonus Height |
|
MD-355 Corridor Character Area (Corridor-FZ) |
235 feet |
100 feet |
|
Core Character Area (CCA-FZ) |
200 feet |
100 feet |
|
Edge Character Area (ECA-FZ) |
85 feet |
50 feet |
Further aligning with the recommendations of the Town Center Master Plan, specifically Action 2.1.1, the ZTA modifies parking requirements for properties within the Town Center planning area. Per the TCMP, the ZTA says, “For any tract within 0.5 miles of the Rockville Metro Station or 0.25 miles of a planned BRT station, no minimum number of parking spaces is required.” The ZTA goes further and calls for the requirement of accessible parking spaces at a minimum rate of 1 accessible space for every 25 dwelling units on site or within 1,000 feet of an accessible entrance to a building. This is consistent with Montgomery County’s regulations on accessible parking spaces for projects that do not otherwise require parking.
In addition, the proposed ZTA clarifies that residential uses otherwise permitted by a project’s equivalent zone are permitted on the ground floor of any building in a Town Center interim comprehensive plan floating zone. This has the effect of not requiring ground floor retail for projects in a Town Center floating zone as recommended in the TCMP.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council adopted the 2025 Rockville Town Center Master Plan on January 27, 2025. Although the Mayor and Council have discussed the implementation of the Town Center Master Plan land use recommendations previously, this is the first time that this item for a zoning text amendment to implement land use recommendations of the TCMP is before the Mayor and Council.
Public Notification and Engagement
If authorized for filing, City staff will embark on a public notification effort to ensure the public is fully aware of these proposed changes. The Town Center Master Plan Engage Rockville page will be utilized to spread the word about this ZTA and its associated opportunities for feedback. Staff will provide regular project updates via the “News Flash” feature, send email newsletters to project subscribers, and update the “Key Dates” and “Reports and Documents” widgets on Engage Rockville. Staff will also work with the Public Information Office to ensure opportunities for input are shared via Rockville Reports, social media pages, and other citywide communication tools.
Zoning text amendments require public hearings to be held before the Planning Commission and Mayor and Council. Per the City’s standard practice, notice of public hearings before the Mayor and Council will be advertised on the City’s website and advertised in the Washington Post in accordance with the code.
Boards and Commissions Review
If authorized for filing, the proposed text amendment will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for a recommendation. The text amendment is tentatively scheduled to come before the Planning Commission on March 12.
Next Steps
If the Mayor and Council authorize this text amendment, the next step would be for the Planning Commission to review the text amendment and make a recommendation to the Mayor and Council. When the text amendment returns to the Mayor and Council, a public hearing is required prior to a decision being made.