Rockville planners advance changes to zoning uses and parking; mayor and council signal support

Deputy Zoning Manager Holly Simmons presented the Planning Commission with proposed changes to Rockville City’s Zoning Ordinance on uses and parking at an Aug. 13 work session, outlining updates staff and consultants expect to publish in a draft this winter and to adopt during 2026.

Simmons said the city plans to modernize use names and definitions, consolidate some overlapping categories, move certain enforcement provisions into the city code’s rental chapter, and simplify approvals for more impactful uses. “We are proposing to revise a current use called ‘alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises’ to a new term, ‘alcoholic beverage retail establishment,’ ” Simmons said.

The changes are intended to make the ordinance easier to interpret, reduce processing burden for routine changes, and support broader policy goals such as equity, housing supply and walkability. Simmons summarized a timeline showing the project began in 2023, drafting started in January, one more Planning Commission work session is planned in October, the public draft is expected in December, and adoption is anticipated in 2026.

Why it matters: The rewrite affects where businesses and housing types can locate and how projects are reviewed. It aims to reduce administrative steps for some uses, clarify rules for rental occupancy, and align parking rules with the city’s walkability and housing goals.

Key use changes and staff recommendations

- Home-based businesses: Staff propose renaming and clarifying the three existing categories (currently no-impact, low-impact, major-impact). Simmons said the intent is to add flexibility at the low end and make the regulations more usable. Major-impact home businesses would become conditional uses rather than special exceptions, removing the need for Board of Appeals review while retaining standards.

- Consolidation and elimination of outdated uses: Simmons said staff plan to…