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Rising Sun adopts new ‘Educational and Cultural Campus’ zoning to protect large institutional parcels
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Summary
The Town of Rising Sun on Nov. 18 adopted Ordinance 2025‑03 creating an Educational and Cultural Campus (ECC) zoning district to allow campus-style educational and cultural uses while restricting residential subdivision on large annexed parcels such as West Nottingham Academy.
Rising Sun’s mayor and board of commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 18 to adopt Ordinance 2025‑03, which creates a new Educational and Cultural Campus (ECC) zoning district intended to guide development of schools, colleges, museums and related campus facilities.
The town administrator said the change was prompted in part by a request from West Nottingham Academy to consider annexation to obtain municipal water and (potentially) sewer service. The administrator said the academy’s site has documented drinking-water contamination concerns and that the town has secured a Maryland Department of the Environment grant to cover a water line to the property.
Under the new ECC district, uses permitted by right include public and private primary and secondary schools, colleges, vocational institutes, museums, libraries, research facilities and performance spaces. Accessory uses listed in the ordinance include student and staff housing run by the institution, campus bookstores, dining halls, childcare centers operated by the school and on-site health clinics. Larger gatherings or uses above specified thresholds (for example amphitheaters over the capacity noted in the code) are subject to conditional use review by the planning commission.
The ordinance requires submission of a master plan and planning‑commission review for any ECC project, and sets minimum lot sizes, setbacks and performance standards (noise, circulation and public‑safety considerations) intended to preserve compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods. The town administrator emphasized the change is designed to prevent large acreage from being annexed and later redeveloped into residential subdivisions that would impose new service burdens on the town.
Mayor Travis Marion opened the public hearing on the ordinance and called for public comments; none were offered before the board moved and approved the measure.
The ordinance becomes part of Chapter 12 of the Rising Sun codified ordinances and includes renumbering of sections to insert the new Article for the ECC district.
