Project Basics
WHO Planners from the Montgomery County Planning Department are working in coordination with Code Studio, a team of nationally recognized consultants, a citizen panel and other County agencies.
WHAT In 2007, the Montgomery County Council directed the Planning Department to undertake a comprehensive rewrite of the County's 30+ year old zoning code. View documents produced during the first and second phases of the project.
WHERE The new zoning code will apply to the entire county, with the exception of municipalities that control their own zoning.
WHEN The rewrite project began in 2008 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The project is currently in the drafting phase and the public review draft is expected to be released in spring 2012. View the project timeline.
WHY An updated zoning code is important for achieving the kind of growth Montgomery County policymakers and residents want. The current code is criticized for being antiquated, hard to use, and inconsistent. The zoning code has not been comprehensively rewritten since 1977 and the document is over 1100 pages long. The number of zones has nearly tripled from 41 (in 1977) to the current 120 and the code specifies over 400 land uses. Additionally, with only about 4% of land in Montgomery County available for development, the new zoning code can play a crucial role in guiding redevelopment to areas like underused surface parking lots and incorporating a commitment to sustainability.
HOW The initial sections of the new code are drafted by Code Studio. County planners then analyze and edit those drafts based on feedback from the Zoning Advisory Panel, county agency representatives and other stakeholders. The project team is continually gathering input that will inform the public draft of the new code, expected in spring 2012. After an extensive public review process, a draft of the code will be presented to the Planning Board and, ultimately, the County Council for adoption and implementation.
View a primer on the rewrite project in this excerpt from our cable show, Montgomery Plans.
Montgomery County Planning Department