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Pocomoke initiates rezoning of 74-acre city tract to Planned Residential Development
Summary
Pocomoke City Planning and Zoning Commission voted to initiate an ordinance to rezone a 74.17-acre city-owned tract on Old Virginia Road from M-1/B-2 to a Planned Residential Development (PRD) floating zone to encourage mixed-use and higher-density redevelopment.
The Pocomoke City Planning and Zoning Commission on May 29 voted to initiate an ordinance recommending the rezoning of a 74.17-acre city-owned tract (Parcel 210, Map 92 Grid 2) on Old Virginia Road from M-1 Industrial and B-2 General Business to a Planned Residential Development (PRD) floating zone.
The PRD initiative was presented by Dan, planning and zoning staff for the city of Pocomoke, who said the tract is about half wooded and half tillable, with roughly 35 acres of tillable land and two additional city-owned parcels nearby that are not yet annexed. Dan said the PRD overlay is intended to “encourage compact mixed use development that is pedestrian scaled” and to implement goals of the city’s comprehensive plan.
The staff report, included with the presentation, says the PRD district would allow a mix of single-family, townhouse and multifamily housing (ranging up to 25 units per acre if warranted), provide flexibility on setbacks and street standards, and require a minimum of 25% open space subject to an approved master plan. The report noted the property appears to have been purchased by the city in 1998 (for $150,000) and annexed in December 2000, and that historic annexation documents place responsibility for extending water and sewer lines on a future developer — though the staff presentation said those terms could be negotiated.
Commission members asked about differences between a straight R-3 zoning and a floating PRD. Dan said the PRD offers greater density and flexibility on setbacks, pavement and nonresidential uses oriented to residents, while still requiring a master plan and public review by both the commission and city council. Resident Dr. Lynn Duffy asked about notification; Dan confirmed that initiating the ordinance is the first step and that adjacent-property and legal-notice requirements for a public hearing will follow.
A motion to initiate the map amendment as described on the agenda passed with a unanimous vote recorded by the commission.
The action initiates the formal rezoning process; any future development will require a developer proposal, an approved master plan, and appropriate utility extensions or capacity assurances before construction may proceed.
