Updates

Why Should You Care about Zoning?

[su_frame] [/su_frame] Because zoning and subdivision impacts everyone. We all have a critical stake in the rewrite process. Zoning determines how land is used, how buildings are constructed, and what types of businesses are allowed in a community. Together, the zoning code and subdivision regulations establish fundamental aspects for our neighborhoods like walkability, building heights, streetscapes, police stations, schools, bike trails, even whether and how you can build a fence or deck.

For years, citizen activists, Planning Department staff, land developers, business owners, and elected officials have agreed that the current zoning and subdivision codes are outdated, sometimes foster an atmosphere of distrust, and prevent the County from getting the type of development it deserves. The County realized some time ago that there was only one solution – rewrite the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations to make these codes easier to include citizen input, reduce uncertainty by clearly defining the approvals process, and implement the County’s vision for growth.

Several unsuccessful zoning rewrite attempts later, the County is still faced with the same dilemma. This time we need your help in making sure this effort does something none of the previous attempts were able to do – SUCCEED!

Rewriting the zoning code is a crucial recommendation of Plan Prince George’s 2035 . In this most-recently adopted General Plan it is stated that “in order to begin implementation of Plan 2035, we must first undertake a comprehensive update to the County’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances.”

Since the Zoning Rewrite launched in January 2014, the project team has held more than 115 meetings with interested stakeholders discussing the state of the current zoning and subdivision regulations and creating a shared vision for what the new Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations should address. Over these next two years, we encourage you to stay involved with this process. Please stay tuned for more updates and staff articles about how zoning affects you. The latest happenings with the Zoning Rewrite are posted on our website, Facebook  and Twitter. In the meantime, please let us know your thoughts—contact us directly at zoningpgc@ppd.mncppc.org

Share Your Thoughts: Attend the North County Listening Session

The Zoning Rewrite team and the Prince George’s County Planning Board value your input in the rewrite process. Join the team at our next community listening session on “Creating a 21st Century Zoning Ordinance for Prince George’s County” on:

Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Parks and Recreation Administration Building
6600 Kenilworth Avenue
Riverdale, MD 20737
6:00 to 8:00p.m.

Clarion Associates, the lead consultant, will discuss their evaluation and recommendations for how the county’s Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations should be restructured. The full “Evaluation and Recommendations Report” can be found online in the documents page (click here to download the Report).

The report contains Clarion’s review of the challenges with today’s regulations as identified by the residents, business and property owners, developers, elected officials, and other interested Prince Georgians; proposes comprehensive recommendations for revising the Prince George’s County Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations; and contains a proposed annotated outline for how the new Zoning Ordinance should be re-written.
For questions or feedback, contact a member of the Zoning Rewrite team at zoningpgc@ppd.mncppc.org

Derick Berlage interviewed about Creating a 21st Century Zoning Ordinance for Prince George’s County.

On Tuesday, January 15, Derick Berlage, Chief of the Countywide Planning Division of the Prince George’s County Planning Department was interviewed by Sonia Srivastava of Prince George’s Community Television to discuss the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations Rewrite. Watch the entire video below.

Video courtesy of Prince George’s Community Television.

“One of the most important things that local governments do is help to decide what kind of real estate happens, where it happens, and makes sure it happens in a way that maximize benefits for the community. One of the most important tools that we use to do this is our zoning ordinance, but [the Prince George’s County] zoning ordinance is more than half a century old and written in a time when the county was changing from farmland to suburbia. We’re a different county today.”

Community input is critical to creating a 21st century zoning ordinance for Prince George’s County. Visit the about page to learn more about the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations rewrite.