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

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…