Background
Bill No. 11-21 was passed by the County Council on May 3, 2021, which adopted “Plan2040”, the County’s General Development Plan. The 2021 law required that the County be divided into region planning areas. Plan2040 created nine region planning areas in the County.
A region plan is required for each region planning area. Region plans are intended to refine the recommendations for land use made in Plan2040 and are to be implemented through comprehensive zoning. Comprehensive zoning is a holistic way of updating the County zoning map. Under Maryland law, zoning must be consistent with planned land use.
Both the adoption of a region plan and the comprehensive zoning process will be carried out for the nine region planning areas through legislation in 2024 and following years. A change of zoning for a property in a specific region planning area may be made by amendment to a comprehensive zoning bill for that region.
This page is intended to be a guide for citizens and property owners and a pathway to an application to the County Council to request an amendment to change the zoning for a property in a particular region. Specific regions will be added to this page as specific legislation is introduced.
Notice of Applications to County Council to Request a Change to Zoning and Proposed Amendments
View a list of Region 2 & 7 applications for zoning changes made to the County Council. This list also includes notice of amendments to bills that will be proposed. Region 4 applications will appear when applications are received.
If you need to submit an application for a specific region, please expand the correct section below and follow the link to an application.
IMPORTANT! Applications to Request a Change of Zoning for a Property in Region 4 that require a sign be posted are being accepted until 5:00 p.m. on June 12, 2024. Applications that do not require a sign will be accepted up until 5:00 p.m. on June 17, 2024.
On April 15, 2024 the County Council introduced the following region plan and comprehensive zoning bills:
Bill No. 27-24: AN ORDINANCE concerning: General Development Plan – Region 4 Plan
Bill No. 28-24: AN ORDINANCE concerning: Comprehensive Zoning – Region 4
Application to the County Council to Request an Amendment to Change the Zoning for a Property in Region 4 (or Bill No. 28-24)
To view the final recommended drafts of the Comprehensive Zoning Map and the Tables of final recommended comprehensive zoning changes and consistency zoning changes, see the link below.
Region 4
Important Dates
| April 15, 2024: County Council Introduction of the draft Plan and draft Comprehensive Zoning Map for Region 4 (Bill No. 27-24 and Bill No. 28-24) |
| May 1, 2024: 5:00 p.m. deadline for applicants to submit requests for amendments for Region 4 to be considered on May 20, 2024 and 6 p.m. County Council Meeting on the draft Plan and draft Comprehensive Zoning Map for Region 2 |
| May 6, 2024: County Council Meeting on the draft Plan and draft Comprehensive Zoning Map for Regions 2 and 7 County Council Calendar |
| May 10, 2024: Bill No. 6-24, Bill No. 7-24, Bill No. 8-24, and Bill No. 9-24 expire; Deadline for posting of sign for any zoning change for Region 4 to be considered at the 5/20 hearing |
| May 15, 2024: 5:00 p.m. - deadline for applicants to submit request for amendment to be considered at June 3 Council meeting |
| May 19, 2024: 11:59 p.m. - Deadline for applicants to submit certification of posting to Council to be considered at May 20 Council meeting |
| May 20, 2024: First hearing for Region 4 bills |
| May 24, 2024: Deadline for posting of sign for any zoning change to be considered at the June 3 Council meeting |
| May 29, 2024: 5:00 p.m. - deadline for applicants to submit request for amendment to be considered at June 17 Council meeting |
| June 2, 2024: 11:59 pm – deadline for applicants to submit certification of posting to Council |
| June 3, 2024: Second hearing for Region 4 bills |
| June 7, 2024: Deadline for posting of sign for any zoning change to be considered at the June 17 Council meeting |
| June 12, 2024: 5:00 p.m. - deadline for applicants to submit request for amendment to be considered at July 1 Council meeting |
| June 16, 2024: 11:59 pm – deadline for applicants to submit certification of posting to Council |
| June 17, 2024: Third hearing for Region 4 bills |
| June 21, 2024: FINAL DEADLINE for posting any sign for any zoning change to be considered at the July 1 Council meeting |
| June 30, 2024: 11:59 pm – deadline for applicants to submit certification of posting to Council for July 1 Council meeting |
| July 1, 2024: Fourth hearing for Region 4 bills |
| July 15, 2024: No substantive amendments can be considered at this council meeting. Bill No. 27-24 and Bill No. 28-24 expire July 19, 2024 |