Council reviews zoning rewrite and comprehensive map amendment; staff proposes town‑center height bands, transit‑oriented density and a new missing‑middle zone

City zoning staff briefed the Mayor and Council on May 5 on the third work session for the zoning ordinance rewrite and the comprehensive map amendment, focusing on new town center zones, a proposed residential high‑density zone, height‑transition rules, and a missing‑middle residential infill zone.

Town center and MXTD zones: staff described a family of Mixed Use Transit District (MXTD) zones aligned to the Town Center Master Plan character areas: MXTD‑85 (edge), MXTD‑202 (core) and MXTD‑235 (Maryland 355 corridor), with bonus height provisions tied to affordable housing or champion projects. Staff also proposed applying an MXTD‑235 band to certain MXTD properties at Twinbrook and Shady Grove to keep those transit‑oriented locations competitive. Councilmembers expressed broad support for implementing the master plan heights and asked staff to consider similar flexibility for other transit corridors such as Veirs Mill where BRT is planned.

Protecting faith‑based uses: during the public comment period several speakers asked the council not to downzone church properties. The Mayor raised one example, Jerusalem Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, and the council signaled it would not move forward with downzoning that church property; multiple council members said they would not support removing existing uses from religious institutions and asked staff to exclude faith‑based properties from any down‑zoning that would limit existing use rights.

Residential high‑density and transitions: staff proposed a new residential high‑density (RHD) zone of roughly 50 dwelling units per acre with a maximum 75‑foot base height and a targeted 45‑foot overlay within 100 feet of abutting single‑unit residential to respond to neighborhood concerns in Planning Area 10 (Montrose/Rollins Park area). Staff described a draft transition approach to reduce impacts: buildings above 50 feet would step back 10 feet after the second story, and an additional 10‑foot stepback would apply at 85 feet for buildings seeking bonus height. Council discussion split: several members supported staff’s stepback approach as a modernized transition, while others cautioned that transition rules reduce potential residential capacity and asked that any transitions apply narrowly to residential zones rather than broadly across mixed‑use zones.

RMD infill (missing middle) zone: staff proposed expanding and clarifying a Residential Medium Density (RMD) infill zone to allow duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and cottage courts, with modest height limits (30–40 feet depending on form), no minimum lot size, and limited design standards focused on street interaction and accessibility. Councilmembers broadly supported the approach and asked staff to consider expanding missing‑middle opportunities more widely across the city and to provide examples that show how these forms can fit into existing neighborhoods.

Height transition mechanics and map impacts: staff used a case study at 400 North Washington Street to demonstrate that the current layback slope (a 30‑degree plane measured from an attached or townhouse property line) can make it infeasible to realize town center master plan heights on properties that confront lower‑rise residential zones. The proposed stepback approach is intended to deliver predictable transitions while allowing the master plan heights to be realizable. Several councilmembers requested a site tour and additional outreach to affected neighborhoods before finalizing map changes.

Lincoln Park, King Farm and other targeted rezonings: staff updated the council on outreach in Lincoln Park (where community members expressed strong opposition to a recommended rezoning) and on a proposed Piccard/Research Boulevard change in the King Farm/Shady Grove area from an MXE employment zone to MXCD (mixed use corridor) to support more residential/retail uses on the Piccard side. Council members requested more community engagement in Lincoln Park, asked staff to analyze Ashley Avenue infrastructure and rights‑of‑way issues, and in several places instructed staff not to remove existing uses from properties without clear justification.

Next steps: staff will hold two more work sessions in July and September, incorporate council direction on faith‑based properties and transitions, prepare a public release of the draft ordinance in December and return for adoption in spring 2026. Councilmembers asked staff to bring back clarifying language for state law provisions (the Housing Expansion and Affordability Act) and to show how MPDU and other affordable housing tools interact with proposed bonus height mechanisms.