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Planning Commission recommends zoning text amendment to create Town Center floating zones, remove ground‑floor retail requirement and curb parking minimums
Summary
The City of Rockville Planning Commission on March 12 recommended that the Mayor and Council adopt Zoning Text Amendment TXT2025‑00269 to implement Town Center Master Plan zoning recommendations including three floating zones, adjusted height limits with bonuses tied to additional moderately priced housing, elimination of minimum off‑street parking and removal of a universal ground‑floor retail requirement.
The City of Rockville Planning Commission on March 12 recommended that the Mayor and Council adopt Zoning Text Amendment TXT2025‑00269 to implement zoning recommendations from the Town Center Master Plan.
City staff said the ZTA creates three floating zones tied to Town Center character areas: a Maryland 355 Corridor floating zone (Corridor FZ), a Core Character Area floating zone (CCA) and an Edge Character Area floating zone (ECA). The zoning text sets base building heights and potential bonus heights: the Corridor FZ base is 235 feet with a potential 100‑foot bonus, the Core base is 200 feet with a 100‑foot bonus and the Edge base is 85 feet with a 50‑foot bonus. Staff said bonus height is linked to development of additional moderately priced dwelling units beyond the city’s usual requirements.
Mr. Wasilak (staff) said the ZTA also removes minimum off‑street parking requirements within the Town Center planning area while continuing to require accessible parking spaces. The amendment also eliminates a city requirement that projects provide ground‑floor retail throughout the planning area, consistent with the Town Center plan guidance to concentrate public‑serving uses in a core spine.
A commissioner asked how the Mayor and Council will evaluate "qualified public benefits" that could justify bonus heights. Staff replied that the Mayor and Council will weigh benefits such as affordable housing or open space and that, under the proposed floating‑zone framework, the key quantitative benefit for additional height is moderately priced housing exceeding normal requirements.
Staff noted the Mayor and Council had authorized filing of the ZTA on Feb. 24 and scheduled a Mayor and Council public hearing for March 24, 2025 with potential action that evening. The Planning Commission motion to recommend adoption passed unanimously. Staff said the ZTA is intended to accelerate implementation of the Town Center Master Plan and support city goals on housing, economic development and climate action.
