Adjacent property owner letter

111 Maryland Avenue | Rockville, Maryland 20850-2364 | 240-314-5000

www.rockvillemd.gov

<OWNNAME1>, <OWNNAME2>

<OWNADD1>

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<OWNCITY>, <OWNSTATE> <OWNERZIP>

                                                                                                                        October 23, 2024

Dear Property Owner,

This letter is in reference to your property located at <ADDRESS> in Rockville, Maryland. This property is located within 100 feet of property(ies) recommended for rezoning in the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan (“comprehensive plan”), which was adopted in 2021. Zoning promotes coordinated development by identifying a property’s permitted uses and regulating the form of development, such as building height, setbacks from property lines, and parking and access requirements. 

The city is now working to implement the comprehensive plan. As part of this effort, we are undertaking a Zoning Ordinance Rewrite & Comprehensive Map Amendment (CMA). The CMA will help to align the city’s zoning with the comprehensive plan and make it simpler to understand and administer the city’s Zoning Ordinance. Updating zoning rules and regulations will support policies to improve quality of life, prepare for new and innovative businesses and construction methods, and address the future demands of the city.   

Visit https://tinyurl.com/ms7ecwzb to view an interactive map with zoning changes recommended by the comprehensive plan. You can also read the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan and see references to impacted properties online at www.rockvillemd.gov/200/Rockville-2040-Comprehensive-Plan. Additionally, the enclosed “Zoning Districts Quick Reference” document provides information related to Rockville’s existing zones, as well as one new zone that is being created.

The limited number of rezonings are recommended for one of two reasons:

1. The comprehensive plan recommends a change in land use for the property, which also requires a change to the zone that applies to a property. During the preparation of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan, all properties in the City were reviewed and considered for future zoning changes to reflect changing community needs and allow for desired land uses. Properties that were determined to be appropriate for such zoning changes were identified in the Plan. However, because the Plan is a guiding policy document and not a legal mechanism, it recommended and did not implement the recommended changes in zone. These recommended rezonings were included in the comprehensive plan public process; now, the CMA will legally implement these recommendations. *This is the reason you are receiving this mailing.*
2. City staff and their consultants recommend consolidating two zones into one. In limited cases, city staff and their consultants are recommending to consolidate one zone with another. This is intended to eliminate redundancy and make it simpler to understand and administer the city’s Zoning Ordinance. In these instances where a zone is going away, the properties that are currently within that zone will be recommended for rezoning to another zone. 

The city will be hosting a series of virtual meetings specifically for owners of properties recommended for rezoning and owners of properties within 100 feet. At these meetings, city staff will provide details on the comprehensive plan’s proposed rezonings and opportunities for engagement. The meetings will include time for you to ask questions in smaller, virtual “break-out” rooms. We encourage you to attend one of our upcoming workshops for property owners to learn more and ask questions:

Tuesday, November 12 at 7p.m. | virtual meeting held via Webex. Register for the meeting at https://tinyurl.com/5x9cpk79	Wednesday, November 13 at 3:30p.m. | virtual meeting held via Webex. Register for the meeting at https://tinyurl.com/2de3wp35	Thursday, November 14 at 10:00a.m. | virtual meeting held via Webex. Register for the meeting at https://tinyurl.com/daydfduy

The Comprehensive Map Amendment is associated with the city’s ongoing Zoning Ordinance Rewrite, a comprehensive initiative to update the city’s Zoning Ordinance to ensure that the regulations better implement the city’s vision and goals as outlined in the comprehensive plan; support current policy and trends; and make the ordinance easy to use. This is a long-term project that is anticipated to be complete in Spring 2026. Both the CMA and the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite will be the subject of public hearings before the Mayor and Council that will happen later, in the “Adoption” phase of this process.  

For more information about the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite & Comprehensive Map Amendment and to “subscribe” to updates, visit engagerockville.com/ZoningRewrite. There is ample time in this process to get involved and share your thoughts. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the project team at zoning@rockvillemd.gov or 240-314-8200.

Sincerely, 

R. James Wasilak, AICP

Chief of Zoning 

To find this information in your language, visit engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite, open the Select Language button in the upper right corner of the page, and scroll to the News Feed.

Para encontrar esta información en su idioma, visite engagementrockville.com/zoningrewrite, abra el botón Seleccionar idioma en la esquina superior derecha de la página y desplácese hasta el Canal de noticias.

要以您的语言查找此信息，请访问engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite，打开页面右上角的“选择语言”按钮，然后滚动到新闻提要。

Pour trouver ces informations dans votre langue, visitez engagerockville.com/zoningrewrite, ouvrez le bouton Sélectionner la langue dans le coin supérieur droit de la page et faites défiler jusqu'au fil d'actualité.
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