Rockville adopts zoning change to ease parking rules for certain MPDU townhouses in Tower Oaks

The Rockville Mayor and Council on March 3 adopted Zoning Text Amendment TXT 2025-268, a change to the city's zoning code that reduces parking requirements for certain moderately priced dwelling unit (MPDU) townhouses in planned developments and allows affected units to be certified as meeting the new standard.

The amendment, which staff recommended and the Planning Commission had approved, was proposed to address a local construction issue in the Reserve at Tower Oaks where 35 of 51 MPDU townhouse units included garage spaces that did not meet the city's minimum nine-foot width. The ZTA reduces the required townhouse parking from two spaces to one (with supplementary requirements described below) for qualifying MPDUs in planned developments, and allows certification by the Chief of Zoning to enable permitted work in those previously noncompliant garage areas.

City staff attorney Jim Wasilek told the council the text amendment was drafted in response to a specific problem in the Reserve at Tower Oaks community and the city's work with the homeowner association and the developer. "This ZTA will allow for revised parking requirements for MPDU townhouses within planned developments," he said, adding the change includes on-street parking provided at a rate of 0.5 spaces per townhouse unit and a pedestrian-access condition for units within 0.7 miles of transit or a public parking facility.

Why it matters: Council members and residents said the amendment would let homeowners legally convert narrowed garage areas into living space or otherwise use them without being forced into expensive demolition, while preserving on-street parking and pedestrian-access conditions intended to limit parking shortfalls. The Planning Commission had recommended approval, and staff said the change does not alter the citywide minimum of two parking spaces per townhouse in…