Zoning Ordinance Rewrite & Comprehensive Map Amendment

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A comprehensive update of Rockville’s zoning ordinance is underway. The city’s zoning ordinance was last rewritten in 2009. In the past 15 years, there has continued to be a shift in land use practices and living arrangements, and the current zoning ordinance has not been flexible enough to accommodate these changes.

This Zoning Ordinance Rewrite follows the adoption of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan in 2021 and will implement the goals and policies of that plan, along with associated city plans and policies. Updating zoning rules 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. While this project will update the zoning ordinance and the associated zoning map, it is not intended to revisit the Rockville 2040 Plan or introduce more policies or actions. Additional project goals are outlined below.


What is the Zoning Ordinance?

The city’s zoning ordinance is a set of laws and regulations found in Chapter 25 of the City Code. Zoning regulates what structures and land are used for, where a structure may be located on a lot, and how big structures can be. It also regulates other elements of site development, such as forest and tree preservation, accessory structures, parking, and the processes by which new development can be approved. Zoning laws and regulations are also the main way that the land use recommendations from the city’s comprehensive plan are implemented.

Land within the city is divided into different zoning districts (or “zones”), each of which has its own requirements. This way, use and development regulations are tailored to different parts of the city. The city’s zoning map shows how zones are currently applied in the city.

For additional information on the basics of zoning, check out Rockville Zoning 101.


Goals of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite

  • Achieve land use policy outcomes identified in the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

  • Accomplish goals from the FAST initiative as incorporated into Rockville 2040 — making the development review and permitting process Faster, Accountable, Smarter and Transparent.

  • Ensure compliance with current federal and state regulations.

  • Incorporate the city’s commitment to equity, resilience and sustainability, as described in the 2021 Mayor and Council social justice resolution and the 2022 Climate Action Plan.

  • Incorporate the best practices of planning and zoning, including housing variety and clear and objective standards.

  • Ensure writing and organization is clear, accessible, and easy to use.


What is included in the scope of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite?

The comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Rewrite will touch on regulations including those related to:

  • Land use and urban design

  • Development review processes & procedures

  • Historic preservation

  • Housing

  • Recreation and parks

  • Environment

  • Transportation

To implement the updated zoning ordinance, the project will also update the city’s zoning map through a Comprehensive Map Amendment.


A comprehensive update of Rockville’s zoning ordinance is underway. The city’s zoning ordinance was last rewritten in 2009. In the past 15 years, there has continued to be a shift in land use practices and living arrangements, and the current zoning ordinance has not been flexible enough to accommodate these changes.

This Zoning Ordinance Rewrite follows the adoption of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan in 2021 and will implement the goals and policies of that plan, along with associated city plans and policies. Updating zoning rules 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. While this project will update the zoning ordinance and the associated zoning map, it is not intended to revisit the Rockville 2040 Plan or introduce more policies or actions. Additional project goals are outlined below.


What is the Zoning Ordinance?

The city’s zoning ordinance is a set of laws and regulations found in Chapter 25 of the City Code. Zoning regulates what structures and land are used for, where a structure may be located on a lot, and how big structures can be. It also regulates other elements of site development, such as forest and tree preservation, accessory structures, parking, and the processes by which new development can be approved. Zoning laws and regulations are also the main way that the land use recommendations from the city’s comprehensive plan are implemented.

Land within the city is divided into different zoning districts (or “zones”), each of which has its own requirements. This way, use and development regulations are tailored to different parts of the city. The city’s zoning map shows how zones are currently applied in the city.

For additional information on the basics of zoning, check out Rockville Zoning 101.


Goals of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite

  • Achieve land use policy outcomes identified in the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

  • Accomplish goals from the FAST initiative as incorporated into Rockville 2040 — making the development review and permitting process Faster, Accountable, Smarter and Transparent.

  • Ensure compliance with current federal and state regulations.

  • Incorporate the city’s commitment to equity, resilience and sustainability, as described in the 2021 Mayor and Council social justice resolution and the 2022 Climate Action Plan.

  • Incorporate the best practices of planning and zoning, including housing variety and clear and objective standards.

  • Ensure writing and organization is clear, accessible, and easy to use.


What is included in the scope of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite?

The comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Rewrite will touch on regulations including those related to:

  • Land use and urban design

  • Development review processes & procedures

  • Historic preservation

  • Housing

  • Recreation and parks

  • Environment

  • Transportation

To implement the updated zoning ordinance, the project will also update the city’s zoning map through a Comprehensive Map Amendment.


  • Upcoming Mayor and Council Work Session on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite

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    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:

    1. Housing,

    2. Economic development, and

    3. Effective and efficient service delivery.

    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.

  • Upcoming Council Work Session on the Comprehensive Map Amendment

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    On January 27, 2025, the Mayor and Council will hold a work session on the Comprehensive Map Amendment portion of the project, specifically focusing on the rezonings recommended in the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan. During this work session, staff will present the Focus Areas that the Comprehensive Plan recommends for rezoning along with staff’s proposed zoning (staff’s proposed rezoning is intended to implement the Comprehensive Plan recommendations), and ask Mayor and Council for direction.

    Since the engagement that occurred for the project in the fall, staff’s proposed rezoning for one Focus Area has changed:

    • Planning Area 10, Focus Area 1 (Montrose and North Farm): Staff proposes creating a new, higher-density residential zone, limited to residential uses, and applying this zone to the majority of the Focus Area, which includes all of Rollins Park and Congressional Towers. This will implement the Comprehensive Plan recommendation that “A new, higher-density residential zone, limited to residential uses, is appropriate for the remainder of the site to permit new investment and upgrades, though it should not result in residential displacement.”

    All other proposed rezonings remain the same.

    The January 27 meeting starts at 7 p.m. and is hybrid – if you’d like to attend you can join at City Hall or tune in remotely via Webex.

    The staff report and brief book for the January 27 meeting will be published in the Agenda Center of the city’s website on January 17. Any member of the public may sign up to speak during the public forum section of the January 27 meeting.

    As always, please reach out to zoning@rockvillemd.gov with any questions or comments on the project.

  • Letters sent to property owners, October 23, 2024

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    Work on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite & Comprehensive Map Amendment continues. A key component of the project is to comprehensively amend the zoning map in alignment with the recommendations of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan. This means that some properties are proposed to be rezoned based on Comprehensive Plan recommendations.

    On October 23, 2024, a hard copy mailing was sent to a) all owners of property recommended by the Comprehensive Plan to be rezoned, and b) all owners of property within 100 feet of property proposed within the Comprehensive Plan to be rezoned. This mailing informed property owners of the recommendations and invited them to attend an upcoming meeting tailored specifically for them.

    A copy of the letter to owners of property recommended to be rezoned can be found here.

    A copy of the letter to owners of property within 100 feet of property recommended to be rezoned can be found here.

    Frequently Asked Questions and a Zoning Districts Quick Reference were also included in these mailings.

    View an interactive map showing zoning changes recommended by the Comprehensive Plan. Additionally, you may read the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan to see references to any property proposed for rezoning.

    Among other tasks, the ZOR will refine the list of zones within the city to make the city’s zoning easier to use and understand. Many zones will be maintained, while some zones will be added and others will be consolidated. As a result of these changes to the list of zones, additional rezoning is anticipated to be proposed before the conclusion of this project.

    For rezonings to occur, the Rockville Mayor and Council will have to adopt the Comprehensive Map Amendment through a public process.

  • Upcoming Public Workshops

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    The Zoning team will be hosting two public workshops to inform the Rockville community about the ongoing Zoning Ordinance Rewrite & Comprehensive Map Amendment process. At these meetings, the team will introduce the project and provide background, lay out the project timeline, share project milestones to date, introduce the Engage Rockville page for the project and host a Q&A. These meetings are open to the public and all Rockville stakeholders are encouraged to attend.

    The city will be hosting two identical workshops. There is no need to attend both meetings - attend the meeting the best suits your schedule.

    • Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m. - this meeting will be held virtually via Webex. Advanced registration is required. Register at this link.
    • Tuesday, October 22 at 7 p.m. - this meeting will be held in person in the Mayor and Council Chambers at Rockville City Hall.
Page last updated: 16 Mar 2025, 07:52 PM