Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations control the use and development of property in the County to protect public health, safety and welfare. The Zoning Ordinance is codified as Subtitle 27 of the County Code, while the Subdivision Regulations are codified as Subtitle 24 of the County Code. 

The Zoning Ordinance is composed of text and zoning map that divides the County into zoning districts. Within each district, the Zoning Ordinance regulates land use and establishes dimensional standards, such as minimum lot size, setbacks, building height, and density or floor area ratio. The Zoning Ordinance also establishes other development standards such as number of parking and loading spaces, landscaping, and signage.

The Subdivision Regulations control the division of property into lots or parcels for purpose of sale or development. These regulations establish standards for access, circulation, lotting pattern, street pattern, recreational facilities and parks, stormwater management, flood prevention and woodland conservation. The Subdivision Regulations are also the County’s principal tool to ensure that adequate public facilities such as public roadways, school, police, fire and rescue facilities are available, or will be available in the foreseeable future, to serve the proposed development. 

The Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations are in principle tools to implement the County’s land use vision and policies. The 2002 General Plan, which divides the County into Centers, Corridors and three different growth tiers (Developed, Developing and Rural), provides a comprehensive vision for future growth and development. However, the current Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations predate the General Plan and as such need to be updated to reflect the unique policies recently established for specifically identified areas.  In addition, piecemeal amendments over the years have resulted in a code that is lengthy, overly complicated, substantively inconsistent, unpredictable and not user friendly.  It is the time for a comprehensive amendment.

The Comprehensive Amendment involves three major tasks:

To evaluate the effectiveness of current regulations and to suggest changes needed to implement the General Plan's policy recommendations for the Centers and Corridors, Developed Tier, Developing Tier, and Rural Tier.

To analyze the development review process and to recommend streamlining measures to promote efficiency, transparency, and certainty in the decision-making process to ensure high quality development.

To examine the form, function, and layout of the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations, and to recommend revisions to produce a user-friendly format.

The final product of the Comprehensive Amendment will be the recommended revisions to the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations, along with four background reports.  The draft revisions will be presented to the public for review and comment. The final revisions will be submitted to the Planning Board and the District Council for their review and approval. 

The four background reports are:

General Plan Analysis – Summarizes the County’s planning policies that affect zoning and subdivision regulations (this report is complete and can be found on the project webpage at http://www.pgplanning.org/Projects/Ongoing_Plans_and_Projects/Development_Review/Comprehensive-Amendments.htm)

Consistency and Gap Analysis – Evaluates how effectively the County’s existing zoning and subdivision regulations implement the land use policies of the 2002 General Plan, along with a summary of needed revisions (this report is complete and can be found on the project webpage at http://www.pgplanning.org/Projects/Ongoing_Plans_and_Projects/Development_Review/Comprehensive-Amendments.htm)

Streamlining Development Review Process – Discusses ways to make the approval process more efficient and compliant with County land use policies.

Reformatting – Presents ways to make the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations more readable and user-friendly.

This project is being managed by the Prince George's County Planning Department working with a consultant team led by White & Smith, LLC with offices in Lee’s Summit, Missouri and Charleston, South Carolina.  The other members of the consultant team are PB Placemaking Baltimore Office and Justice & Sustainability Associates, LLC from Washington D.C.

The project was initiated in March, 2009. The final recommended revisions are planned to be presented to the District Council by the June, 2011.

The Comprehensive Amendment is in essence an improvement to the County's land use regulation tool box. This project will affect the text of the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations. No remapping will occur with this project. However, with the possible consolidation of zoning districts, some current zoning districts may be eliminated.

No. 

If you have questions regarding code enforcement, please contact the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources (DER) at 301-883-6100.  

No. Following are related parts of the County Code that are not included in the Comprehensive Amendment and will not be affected by this project. 

Building Code (Subtitle 4)
Nontidal Wetlands (Subtitle 4)
Floodplain (Subtitle 4)
Stormwater management (Subtitle 4)
Grading (Subtitle 4)
Chesapeake Bay Critical Area (Subtitle 5B)
Housing & Property Standards (Subtitle 13)
Onsite Sewage Disposal Subtitle (22)
Road & sidewalk design (Subtitle 23)
Woodland Conservation and Tree Preservation (Subtitle 25)
Fines & penalties (Subtitle 28)
Historic Preservation (Subtitle 29)
Agriculture (Subtitle 30)
Landscape Manual (Part of Subtitle 27)

No.

No specific neighborhoods are targeted for rezoning as part of this project. However, the revised codes, if adopted by the District Council, will control future development/redevelopment in your neighborhood.

No.

No. The Comprehensive Amendment will provide more efficient and fine-tuned tools, if adopted by the District Council, to implement the land use policies of the Master Plans and Sector Plans.

Not in the strict sense, however many of the districts will include design-based regulations that have a strong urban design element. It is anticipated that the Zoning Ordinance will continue to focus on permitted uses and bulk regulations.

The new mixed-use zone (currently proposed as Subtitle 27A) is applicable only to urban centers, corridor node areas and is very limited in terms of scope. However, the final revisions to the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations, if adopted by the District Council, will be applicable to the rest of the County.

The revised Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations will continue to apply within municipalities as they do today, except for the City of Laurel.

There will be a series of meetings where the general public is encouraged to participate and voice their opinions. Meeting details and announcements will be sent out with project newsletters and meeting flyers. Additional announcements can be found on the project webpage at http://www.pgplanning.org/Projects/Ongoing_Plans_and_Projects/Development_Review/Comprehensive-Amendments.htm.

In addition, the general public can also provide written input on the project website by using the on-line feedback form.

For more information, visit the project webpage at http://www.pgplanning.org/Projects/Ongoing_Plans_and_Projects/Development_Review/Comprehensive-Amendments.htm and go to each public meeting.

You may also contact M-NCPPC project team members:
Henry Zhang at 301-952-4151 or e-mail Henry.Zhang@ppd.mncppc.org.
Anika Jackson at 301-952-4584 or e-mail Anika.Jackson@mncppc.org.