Upon completion of a General Development Plan or Small Area Plan, the County undertakes a process to bring zoning into compliance with any changes in land use. This process is known as Comprehensive Zoning. Once a draft Small Area Plan, which includes a recommended zoning map, has been prepared, property owners and others interested in the zoning process may request a change in the zoning of their property or the property of others. Any property owner, community association or other interested party, whether a property owner or not, may request a change from the zoning of a property that is shown on the recommended zoning map. Once an application is received for a change through this Comprehensive Zoning process, it is reviewed by County planning staff. A recommendation to maintain or change the zoning is then made to the Planning Advisory Board (PAB), which conducts a public hearing to consider any changes to the Plan and recommended zoning map. Recommendations by the PAB are made to the County Executive who then forwards the Plan to the County Council. The County Council conducts public hearings and adopts the Plan. Subsequent to adoption of the Plan, official zoning maps are prepared and submitted to the County Council. After the zoning maps are submitted to the County Council, requests for changes may be considered by Council members through an amendment process. Once the zoning maps and any amendments are adopted, they become the official zoning for that planning area. |
