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Rising Sun introduces comprehensive rezoning ordinances, sends proposals to planning commission
Summary
The town introduced two ordinances to implement the comprehensive plan — creating rural estate, rural residential, rural business and Old Town Commercial districts — read summaries into the record to start legal notice requirements and voted to send the ordinances to the planning commission for recommendation and a public hearing schedule.
The Town of Rising Sun on Feb. 8 introduced two ordinances that would revise zoning across multiple parcels to implement the town’s comprehensive plan and reduce inconsistent, "spot" zoning in target areas.
Town Administrator Calvin said the ordinances adopt zoning language that generally mirrors Cecil County designations — creating a rural estate district (10‑acre minimum), a rural residential district and a rural business district intended for low‑intensity commercial uses — and a new Old Town Commercial district designed to regularize downtown lot sizes and setback requirements so existing Main Street businesses are no longer legal nonconformities. "We're gonna read this into the ordinance or into the minutes tonight, which is gonna start the clock," Calvin said, explaining the statutory notice and public‑hearing timeline.
The administrator said the ordinances include legal‑description attachments listing properties recommended for phased reclassification (about 30 properties in roughly 15 attachments) and that the planning commission — which prepared the comprehensive plan — will review the ordinances at its next meeting and return a recommendation to the board. The town attorney, Jay, described the step as "an important second step" in carrying out the comp‑plan intent.
The board voted to enter the ordinance summaries into the record and then voted to send both ordinances to the planning board for recommendation. Administrator and staff outlined the process required under state and town code: two weeks of newspaper advertising with the last notice no fewer than 15 days before the scheduled public hearing. A public hearing was discussed for a meeting in March (possible second meeting) after required public notice and the planning commission's recommendation.
The ordinances are available on the town website and at Town Hall, staff said. The planning commission is scheduled to review the documents at its upcoming meeting; the board is not required to accept the planning commission’s recommendation when it returns its report.
Next steps: planning commission review, public notice and a public hearing on the proposed rezoning changes.
