[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,74,86],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6476328,"mediaKeyId","5730615-c9013707e9dcd8f17a4e190576f64619","parentId",5730615,"title","Rules committee delays vote on O-1425, approves rooftop and downtown bulk-text amendments","audioSeconds",5095,"startMs",921000,"endMs",6016000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5730615-c9013707e9dcd8f17a4e190576f64619&start=921&end=6016","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5730615-c9013707e9dcd8f17a4e190576f64619/thumbnail_921000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6476328/Annapolis/Anne-Arundel-County/Maryland/Rules-committee-delays-vote-on-O-1425-approves-rooftop-and-downtown-bulk-text-amendments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476328-c3657f1abea76bf2325a7fc5bd4b3273/orig.mp4?Expires=1769607309&Signature=L7EUsiGxgZpd9eeOhqaE-M~PEyCTfMBDRw8coJdYf~Lw6wIRbyTePnSG3HVd2Qq8xZxPnNE5oBateklJPpsrjEAOosNu3OZQfg3Ad2~Msd9vHDHvgt2bvjJYhAPbZAfxcI-Nlms9emVQ4ioNr4H2r~1G7SZxYBOyseOkQr760Z0zxebNARaTPZaBy3QdqEUvYbImCzL2ATyQVvFWBPVOCEqnL92RxXYDTNpl-jhsnKf8Ctpa2OXSah8AuhSrJ5A4dDDeHc1j~IiblNOkeh440YbJ0-r7PWFdWD2iy9x10Fd8bMav07yrxXuuOP480utJwixfeIBEm8ceizrjeNwmwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Annapolis, MD","date","2025-09-08T13:42:28Z","article","The Annapolis Rules Committee on Thursday postponed formal action on Ordinance O-1425, the package of zoning text changes intended to implement the city’s Comprehensive Plan 2040, and approved two discrete text amendments addressing rooftop projections and how floor-area-ratio rules apply in a downtown segment.

Committee members voted to approve an amendment from Alderman Huntley that requires all three enumerated conditions to be met before rooftop structures may extend above regulatory height limits, replacing an “or” with “and.” The panel also approved a staff‑supported amendment (referred to in the meeting as “amendment 2”) that exempts a specific downtown area from the city’s floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) cap so that maximum height and setback rules — rather than FAR calculations — determine the usable building volume in that narrow district.

The ordinance package is designed to translate the Comprehensive Plan 2040’s goals into zoning tools. City planning staff told the committee the changes emphasize plan development mechanisms that allow mixed uses and greater housing capacity in targeted corridors and opportunity areas, link project review to performance standards drawn from the adopted plan, and create a stronger focus on community benefits such as pedestrian improvements, public art, stormwater modernization and transit readiness.

Director Kubiak and planner Eric (identified in the meeting as Eric) said plan development is intended to give the Planning Commission discretion to negotiate site‑level public benefits in exchange for regulatory flexibility. Staff also noted that the mixed‑use performance standards referenced in the ordinance are in the staff report and can be circulated in a separate document.

Aldermen pressed staff for more detail and safeguards. Alderman Savage said he supports directing more density to corridors but said the legislation as drafted does not do enough to ensure the infrastructure — transit, traffic mitigation and parking — will be in place before or concurrent with new development. Alderman Schandenmeyer and others raised safety concerns about Forest Drive and asked for stronger commitments on speed, sidewalks and transit before endorsing broad zoning changes. Several speakers urged that daycare and small medical uses be emphasized as complimentary services for higher‑density development.

On the rooftop provision, Alderman Huntley’s amendment changes the rooftop exception so that rooftop features that exceed height limits are allowed only if all three listed conditions are met; staff said the change corrects an unintended drafting issue and recommended approval.

On the downtown bulk/height discussion, staff explained the tradeoffs among FAR, height and setbacks in the city’s historic commercial area where buildings commonly cover the full lot. The approved amendment removes the FAR constraint for a specific stretch so that height and setback controls — and administrative review — will govern the buildable volume; staff said the change is narrowly targeted to an area where existing lot coverage and building patterns make the FAR cap functionally obstructive to compatible reinvestment.

Alderman Savage presented a suite of draft amendments — including provisions addressing green roofs, rooftop equipment standards and transit‑oriented financing mechanisms such as possible tax‑increment financing — but staff and the committee agreed those proposals require more study and legal review. The Planning Commission had reviewed many of the ideas and asked for further work before translating them into code language, staff said.

Given the number and complexity of outstanding issues, the committee voted to postpone final consideration of O-1425 to permit staff to meet with Alderman Savage and Alderman Arnett and to return the ordinance at a later Rules Committee meeting. Committee members said they want clearer language on the city’s adequate public facilities rules, concrete measures tied to transit and safety on major corridors, and refined definitions for green roofs and rooftop mechanicals before a final vote.

Next steps: staff will circulate the mixed‑use performance standards referenced in the Comprehensive Plan and work with aldermen on the outstanding amendments. The committee set a future Rules Committee meeting and indicated the ordinance will return to the council agenda after that follow‑up work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rules and City Government Committee Meeting September 8 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Annapolis Rules Committee on Thursday postponed formal action on Ordinance O-1425, the package of zoning text changes to implement the city’s Comprehensive Plan 2040, after members pressed staff for additional work on transit, traffic, parking and public‑facility provisions.","taxTitle","Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland","taxId",59348,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":75,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":76,"_40":77,"_42":78,"_44":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6476324,"Rules committee backs definition of 'block face' and limits short‑term rental growth; rejects owner‑occupied exemption",2632,6029000,8661000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5730615-c9013707e9dcd8f17a4e190576f64619&start=6029&end=8661","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5730615-c9013707e9dcd8f17a4e190576f64619/thumbnail_6029000.jpg","/articles/6476324/Annapolis/Anne-Arundel-County/Maryland/Rules-committee-backs-definition-of-block-face-and-limits-shortterm-rental-growth-rejects-owneroccupied-exemption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476324-ce220d31b36bdb96846e76c630f5a776/orig.mp4?Expires=1769607309&Signature=X7KhEmc25r0Ft0Dal7t~DEXD0hNiVK-cS6hKUWigXlvDiMo~7qTrA-L7mqxg0RTf53Qf6Y1bCxmSvWoYFOttg7iVAYOrsxIJymZpzdWLxOZP1TTuQPV0a3Fe62vmByGJkp3W69jy~vHNUQnyUUkYvnuWjdFztIahIkjsc6bqoG6cJ4IP0QKGBn3tIEd~NgoHrIw1MlLOukNlIdO4WuxoeyuUga~xkbv6DI7mNsH3vDUMVaT~iSlmfJWOLlVJ2cXxJBLJt7h12wSYcbBpKeksvDwrFMjmuJLmYyHMx8QCtWA6KJBCI9TKEU3qi~5wJtLOKTXFb2gMAhrk8Xta5vRFUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Annapolis Rules Committee voted to recommend Ordinance O-17-25 to the full council with a technical amendment clarifying how the city will measure a block face for purposes of a proposed cap on short‑term rentals, and it rejected a proposed exemption for owner‑occupied rentals.

Under the ordinance as discussed, the city would limit short‑term rentals to no more than 10% of the housing units on a single block face (one side of a street between intersecting streets). Staff told the committee that Host Compliance’s online scans show roughly 560 short‑term rental listings across the city; 283 units are currently licensed and a large share of the rest are in the process of coming into compliance, staff said. The staff analysis identified 30 block faces in Ward 1, five in Ward 2 and seven in Ward 8 that currently exceed the 10% threshold.

Committee members voted to recommend favorably an amendment (sponsored by Alderman Savage) that clarifies the ordinance’s definition of “block face” to accommodate atypical street layouts and gives the director of planning authority to designate the appropriate block‑face boundary where necessary. The committee rejected a second Savage amendment that would have exempted owner‑occupied short‑term rentals from the 10% cap; staff cautioned that distinguishing owner‑occupied from non‑owner‑occupied units for enforcement would be administratively complex and would increase staff workload.

Karen Krause, the city’s short‑term rental coordinator, told the panel that the licensing program is active and that the city is in the process of bringing unlicensed operators into compliance; she said Host Compliance’s scans identify more listings than the city currently has licensed. Staff said a portion of the unlicensed listings were contacted and some operators opted to withdraw listings rather than pursue licensing.

Alderman Savage presented additional, more expansive proposals — including a lottery or phased system to rebalance concentrations, preferential priority for in‑city owners, and potential finance tools to direct growth proceeds to transit — but staff and several aldermen expressed legal and administrative concerns. Staff cautioned that a lottery or retroactive reallocation of existing permits could trigger legal challenges and would be difficult to administer. The committee rejected the deeper lottery and phased‑priority proposals in favor of forwarding the ordinance with the clarified block‑face definition only.

The Rules Committee’s recommendation means O-17-25 will go to the full council for consideration with the technical block‑face amendment; the question of whether to adopt the 10% cap itself will be decided by the full council. Staff said additional operational guidance and likely software/IT support would be needed to monitor caps on a block‑face basis, and they recommended a waiting list/notification process for applicants in capped block faces.","The Annapolis Rules Committee recommended the short‑term rental cap ordinance O-17-25 to the full council with a favorable vote for a clarified ‘block face’ definition and rejected an amendment that would have exempted owner‑occupied rentals from the proposed 10% cap.",{"_32":87,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":88,"_40":89,"_42":90,"_44":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6476321,"Rules committee recommends unfavorably on proposed changes to campaign fund reporting schedule",622,8673000,9295000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5730615-c9013707e9dcd8f17a4e190576f64619&start=8673&end=9295","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5730615-c9013707e9dcd8f17a4e190576f64619/thumbnail_8673000.jpg","/articles/6476321/Annapolis/Anne-Arundel-County/Maryland/Rules-committee-recommends-unfavorably-on-proposed-changes-to-campaign-fund-reporting-schedule","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476321-ec965a1858a64fb9958fb9138ec6fcb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1769607309&Signature=FbqAQpyORglnoJZJ0UFAKJa-TKpO~TPYiyLKCDSCtcJVqaoRe4~pULNPlCFLg5m7n275hIAuGX--Fj55f8Y~LjMYxBCtEt68U4e5na1JG8bc60iysMprvouGU-E40m1S8ClqBihQ-sCLTpG7bill~~I5ZRHzGwKTCjEu~g2R~CUh6kZ4n3FHNxAiOe57li5oQEAlTdCtSheiqoYtzswvWonBxu7yip8~nFfv1Wu3mkb5a576DBp8kZks2bppcV0RWG~qTNaCeMSXZ3LstyHD4hmBc248yjfnWotuyJF7dV~kKZWsmHarvktXwE~E~scLuf-kEFQpHF~GWr4dwBT8nA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rules Committee voted to recommend unfavorably on Ordinance O-24-25, a proposed change to the city’s campaign‑finance reporting schedule.

Eileen Leahy, identified at the meeting as chair of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, told the committee the board reviewed the ordinance and recommended against adding an early report no later than the 26th Tuesday preceding any primary. The board said such an early deadline yields little useful information — new candidates are often not yet active that early in the cycle — and would increase the filing burden on treasurers and incumbents.

The proposed ordinance would add two reporting dates in some places and shift the wording in others. The board suggested keeping a report that is four weeks before the general election rather than one held the week immediately preceding the election; the board’s comment reflected a preference for the four‑week report as more useful to voters.

Committee members objected to the change both because it would add reporting burden and because it arrives close to a scheduled change to the local election process (ranked‑choice voting), which already requires public education and adjustments by candidates and volunteers. Several aldermen said the current schedule is adequate and that additional dates should be considered, if at all, after the next election cycle and after further review by the board.

The committee moved and passed a recommendation unfavorably on O-24-25; staff and the board of elections will be advised of the committee’s position.","The Annapolis Rules Committee recommended unfavorably on O-24-25, a measure that would add or shift campaign fund reporting deadlines. The city’s Board of Supervisors of Elections told the committee it prefers retaining a report four weeks before the general election rather than adding an additional earlier report; committee members said extra","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rules committee delays vote on O-1425, approves rooftop and downtown bulk-text amendments

Rules committee backs definition of 'block face' and limits short‑term rental growth; rejects owner‑occupied exemption

Rules committee recommends unfavorably on proposed changes to campaign fund reporting schedule