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Prince George—s County planners outline "missing middle" housing study and ask for municipal input
Summary
County planning staff presented an introductory study on missing middle housing and sought municipal input on design, zoning changes and community engagement. Planners said regulatory changes are the first step and the county expects a final study in March 2026, followed by a pattern book of housing types.
Prince George—s County Planning Department staff presented an overview of a county initiative to expand so-called "missing middle" housing — small multi-unit building types that sit between single-family homes and larger multifamily buildings — and asked College Park leaders to help shape community design preferences.
Karen Muro, a planner with the Prince George—s County Planning Department, described the housing types as "market rate housing that is more affordable to middle income families" and said they typically range from two to nine units, are one to two-and-a-half stories tall and about 600 to 1,200 square feet per unit.
The presentation framed missing middle housing as a response to rising housing costs: planners said county median home prices (evaluated in the slide deck) and rents outpace incomes for many essential workers and middle-income households. John Parks, another county planner, said the county is exploring missing middle as a way to create "attainable market-rate housing" for teachers, first responders and other middle-income workers who do not qualify for subsidized housing.
Planners outlined a three-part work program of research, design and regulatory review. The first near-term step is regulatory: the county will evaluate where current zoning permits missing-middle forms and where it must change development standards (setbacks, lot widths, height limits and parking rules) to allow house-scale multiunit infill. Karen Muro said the county aims to complete a final study in March 2026 and then publish a pattern book showing recommended types (duplexes, triplexes, bungalow courts, stacked duplexes and integrated accessory dwelling units).
County staff described engagement plans that include an online housing survey, municipal presentations and local focus groups. James Hunt, deputy planning director, told the council the county—s recent zoning rewrite was intended as a transition and that additional improvements (such as targeted missing-middle reforms) would come later in a focused review.
Councilmembers asked about incentives, anti-displacement measures and seniors. Planners suggested nonmonetary incentives (fast-track permitting, fee scaling, preapproved plans) and noted that accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a priority for older residents; they said Maryland law in the governor—s housing package will require a policy to permit ADUs by Oct. 1, 2026.
Why it matters: County planners emphasized that zoning and development standards now limit mid-scale housing types in many neighborhoods and that regulatory changes, combined with design guidance and outreach, are necessary to enable a supply of smaller, lower-cost units that fit neighborhood scale.
What happens next: The county will continue municipal briefings and stakeholder outreach, keep the online housing survey open and work with College Park staff and community groups on the pattern book and regulatory recommendations.
