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Pocomoke Council advances second reading to place temporary moratorium on Planning and Zoning actions amid director vacancy
Summary
At a council meeting, Pocomoke City presented a second-reading resolution to impose a temporary moratorium on site-plan approvals, rezoning and annexations while the Planning and Zoning Director position is vacant; the measure would suspend statutory time limits and is scheduled for review in October.
Pocomoke City's mayor and council presented a second reading of Resolution 2026R-02 seeking a temporary moratorium on certain actions by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals while the city's Planning and Zoning Director position remains vacant.
The resolution, read into the record by the mayor, would bar action on any applications for site plan approval, rezoning of property and annexation until the position is filled. It sets an expiration date of November 3, 2025, unless extended, and directs the mayor and council to review the moratorium at the first regular-session meeting in October and monthly thereafter if extended. The text also suspends all time requirements in the City Code for actions by the Planning and Zoning bodies during the moratorium and allows those bodies to continue meeting for public discussion of conceptual issues.
The mayor told the council the moratorium responds to the vacancy in the Planning and Zoning Director post and to the council's view that current city staff lack the expertise to process certain planning actions without that position filled. The resolution text records that the mayor and council are actively recruiting and interviewing candidates for the director job.
The council did not record a final vote on the resolution in the portion of the meeting transcript provided; the resolution text as read scheduled a public hearing on the item at the council's next meeting in September.
Why it matters: The moratorium would pause a range of land-use decisions that typically proceed through the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals, affecting developers and property owners who had pending applications. Suspending statutory time frames can delay determinations on site plans, rezoning petitions and annexations until the city restores dedicated planning staff.
What comes next: The mayor and council will hold a public hearing at the next mayor-and-council meeting; the resolution text instructs a formal review in October and monthly reviews if the moratorium is extended. The transcript does not show a vote on the resolution during the recorded portion of the meeting.
