Howard County Council approves narrower setback rules for nursing homes after amendment

The Howard County Council voted to approve Council Bill 68-2025 (ZRA 2-12) as amended, changing setback requirements for nursing homes and residential care facilities.

Councilmember Christiana Rigby introduced the final consideration of the zoning text amendment on behalf of BlackRock Capital Investors LLC; Amendment 1, which the council adopted before the final vote, clarified that the setback relief would apply only to existing structures and not to expansions that would otherwise circumvent setback rules. Council members and planning staff said that amendment responded to a recommendation from the planning board to prevent an unintended loophole.

The debate focused on the scope of the change. One councilmember said the measure represented “a positive example of adaptive reuse” and stressed the county’s aging population and the need for more local care options. Another councilmember said she remained concerned the measure reached “tens of thousands of properties” and would have preferred a narrower, more targeted approach. After roll-call voting, the bill passed with one member voting no and the remainder voting yes.

The bill sponsor and planning staff said the amendment was negotiated to reflect the planning board’s input and to make sure setback relief would not apply to future expansions of existing structures.

What happens next: CB 68-2025 becomes county law as amended; no further actions were recorded at the meeting about implementation steps or timelines.