Planning commission recommends multiple zoning and code changes to mayor and council

The Pocomoke City Planning Commission moved to forward six proposed ordinances to the mayor and city council for additional readings or action and voted to table one pending re-advertisement.

Commissioners recommended approval of ordinances to: rezone a city-owned 74.17-acre tract to a Planned Redevelopment District (PRD) overlay; add uniform time limits and extension rules for building and zoning permits; adopt the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area overlay required by state law; adopt urban design standards to implement neighborhood-compatibility reviews (including standards triggered by House Bill 538); and adopt sign standards to govern murals and certain public art. A separate ordinance to change rules about keeping lodgers/roomers/boarders in R1/R2 residential districts was tabled for re-advertisement after last-minute language additions.

Why it matters: forwarding the measures sends them to the mayor and city council for formal readings and public hearings; if adopted by council they would change local zoning, permit timeframes and design review requirements, and implement a state-mandated critical-area program.

Details and outcomes: - PRD overlay for city-owned 74.17-acre tract (Ordinance 2026-01): planning staff described attachments including the SDAT listing, survey and existing zoning maps. The commission closed the public hearing and voted to recommend the zoning change be forwarded to the mayor and city council for their action.

- Building and zoning permit expiration and extension language (Ordinance 2026-02): staff read proposed language that applications or permits would be deemed abandoned or invalid if not pursued or acted on within 180 days, with the building official authorized to grant written 180-day extensions for justifiable cause. The commission closed the public hearing and voted to forward the ordinance.

- Lodgers/roomers/boarders in R districts (Ordinance 2026-03): staff said last-minute language adding definitions ("roomer","boarder","family or housekeeping unit") required re-insertion on the agenda. The commission voted to table the item, re-advertise and hold an additional public hearing after staff cleans up the definitions and replaces the old "family" definition with the new "family or housekeeping unit" language.

- Chesapeake Bay Critical Area program (Ordinance 2026-04): staff described adoption of a new Chapter 206 implementing the state Natural Resources Article and a Chesapeake Bay Critical Area overlay map; the commission opened and closed public hearing with no public opposition and voted to forward a recommendation of approval to the mayor and council.

- Urban design standards and neighborhood compatibility (Ordinance 2026-05): staff said the ordinance responds to state House Bill 538 (mandating manufactured/modular homes be allowed in residential districts while permitting local neighborhood-compatibility standards). The commission closed the public hearing and voted to forward the ordinance for council consideration.

- Murals and signage standards (Ordinance 2026-06): staff described a proposed new sign standards section to regulate murals (theme, material, review process, preservation/maintenance and graffiti exceptions). The commission closed the hearing and voted to forward the ordinance.

Tabling: The ordinance changing accessory-use language to prohibit keeping lodgers/roomers/boarders in R1/R2 (2026-03) was tabled and will be re-advertised because staff added definitions to the agenda after it was published. Commissioners discussed definitions, foreign-exchange students, health-care exceptions and agreed to replace the old "family" definition with the new "family or housekeeping unit" definition before re-advertising.

What happens next: The measures recommended by the planning commission will go to the mayor and city council for first and second readings and additional public hearings as required by Pocomoke City procedure. The critical-area ordinance will also be forwarded to the Maryland Critical Area Commission for review after local adoption, per state law.

Votes at a glance: All forwarded ordinances passed on voice votes with "Aye" recorded; the lodgers/roomers/boarders ordinance was tabled for re-advertising.

(Article based on the Planning Commission meeting record; motions and results recorded in public meeting.)