Zoning Ordinance Rewrite & Comprehensive Map Amendment

Earlier this summer, we shared news of nearly a dozen upcoming public meetings where the Rockville community can learn more about the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) and Comprehensive Map Amendment (CMA) process. There have been a few changes to meeting dates, as well as some new meetings scheduled, which are shared in this post. The “Key Dates” tab on the right side of this page has been updated with this latest information.

Previously Announced Meetings

Community Meeting on Parking and Land Uses – July 31

City staff will be hosting a community meeting focused on parking and land useson July 31. The proposed date for this meeting has not changed since it was initially announced in May. This meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and take place virtually. Advanced registration is required to receive a Webex meeting link. Please register the following link – registration link.

Mayor and Council Work Session – August 4 (previously July 21)

The fourth ZOR work session before the Mayor and Council will be hosted on August 4. This meeting was previously anticipated to take place on July 21. This meeting will build off the past work sessions held in January, March and May and will focus on parking and land uses.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be virtual only. The staff report and meeting agenda will be available in the Agenda Center of the city’s website approximately 10 days before the meeting. Members of the public may sign up to speak during the public forum section of the meeting; see the meeting agenda for instructions to sign up.

Planning Commission Meeting – August 13 (previously July 23)

The Planning Commission is anticipated to discuss parking and land uses contemplated in the ZOR during their August 13 meeting. This meeting was previously anticipated to take place on July 23. Since the Mayor and Council work session on the same topic was postponed (see above), this meeting has also shifted to ensure it takes place after the Mayor and Council work session. Planning Commission meetings typically start at 7 p.m. and will be both in-person and virtual. The staff report and meeting agenda will be available in the Agenda Center of the city’s website approximately one week before each meeting.

Newly Scheduled Meetings

Mayor and Council Work Session – September 15

The fifth ZOR work session before the Mayor and Council will take place on September 15. This meeting will focus on a variety of miscellaneous topics that have yet to be discussed by the Mayor and Council, including historic preservation, subdivision, nonconformities, and signs.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be both in-person and virtual. The staff report and meeting agenda will be available in the Agenda Center of the city’s website approximately 10 days before the meeting. Members of the public may sign up to speak during the public forum section of the meeting; see the meeting agenda for instructions to sign up.

Planning Commission Meeting – September 24

Following the Mayor and Council’s fifth work session, the Planning Commission meeting will focus on a variety of miscellaneous topics that have yet to be discussed by the Planning Commission, including historic preservation, subdivision, nonconformities, and signs at their meeting on September 24.

Planning Commission meetings typically start at 7 p.m. and will be both in-person and virtual. The staff report and meeting agenda will be available in the Agenda Center of the city’s website approximately one week before each meeting.

Community Meeting on Outstanding Topics – September 25

City staff will be hosting a community meeting focused on a variety of miscellaneous topics including historic preservation, subdivision, nonconformities, and signs on September 25. This meeting will discuss the same themes and topics as discussed by the Mayor and Council on September 15 and the Planning Commission on September 24. This meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and take place virtually. Advanced registration is required to receive a Webex meeting link. Please register the following link – registration link.

As previously discussed on this page, in recent years, the city has adopted several policies to guide land use and development within Rockville. These include specific rezoning recommendations of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan and Town Center Master Plan, as well as with general policy direction to steer the densest development to transit-oriented areas. A key component of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite and Comprehensive Map Amendment project is to rezone properties in the city to help align the city’s land use zoning to the city’s adopted goals and policies. This process is referred to as the Comprehensive Map Amendment (CMA).

In early June, a hard copy mailing was sent to a) all properties and property owners recommended to be rezoned through the CMA and b) all owners of property within 500 feet of property proposed to be rezoned through the CMA. The mailing informed property owners and residents of the recommendations and invited them to attend upcoming meetings specifically tailored to the Comprehensive Map Amendment. Registration information for these virtual meetings can be found below:

A copy of the letter sent to the properties proposed for rezoning can be found here. A copy of the letter sent to properties within 500 feet of those recommended to be rezoned can be found here. Frequently Asked Questions and a Zoning District Quick Reference Guide were also included in these mailing.

You may view an interactive map showing all zoning changes recommended in the Comprehensive Map Amendment. Additionally, you may read the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan to see references to any property proposed for rezoning.

For any of these proposed rezonings to occur, the Mayor and Council will have to adopt the Comprehensive Map Amendment. This will take place through a public process projected to begin in December 2025.

We hope to see you at a meeting this summer. For any questions or comments, contact zoning@rockvillemd.gov.

The Mayor and Council will hold a work session March 3 on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite, focusing on process improvements under the city’s Faster, Accountable, Smarter, and Transparent (FAST) 2 initiative. The Mayor and Council previously provided overall direction to proceed with FAST 2 at a work session held on September 30, 2024.

Improving the development process directly relates to three of the Mayor and Council's primary guiding principles:

Since that work session, city staff have explored ways to achieve the Mayor and Council’s objectives. The March 3 work session will focus on specific development processes, including project and site plans. Staff will present recommended changes and seek the Mayor and Council’s guidance. Since these processes are regulated through the city’s zoning ordinance, the proposed changes would be implemented by amending the text of the zoning ordinance through the ongoing Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project.

The March 3 meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. and will be both in-person and virtual. See the staff report with the meeting agenda here. Members of the public may sign up to speak during the public forum section of the meeting. See the meeting agenda for instructions.

Contact zoning@rockvillemd.gov with questions or comments.