Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves two zoning updates to encourage mixed‑use development
Summary
Frederick County’s Board of Supervisors approved two ordinance amendments: removal of the 100‑acre minimum and the 4‑du/acre cap for the R‑4 district, and a change to the TNDB overlay raising maximum height to 60 feet and removing a habitable‑floors cap, both recommended unanimously by the planning commission.
The Frederick County Board of Supervisors voted to approve two zoning ordinance amendments intended to make certain mixed‑use and higher‑density developments easier to implement.
Staff presented an amendment to the R‑4 residential plan community district that removes the existing 100‑acre minimum parcel size and eliminates a cap of four dwelling units per acre. Planning staff said the R‑4 district had been underused because few tracts meet the 100‑acre threshold; removing those requirements aligns the district with plan goals that envision higher densities in mixed‑use areas.
The board also approved revisions to the Traditional Neighborhood Design Business (TNDB) overlay district that increase the maximum building height from 45 to 60 feet and remove a cap on habitable floors. Staff said the 60‑foot cap corresponds to other multifamily standards in the ordinance and would facilitate ground‑floor commercial with residences above.
Both amendments had been discussed at the Development Review and Regulations Committee and received unanimous recommendations from the Planning Commission on Nov. 5. After brief questions, the board moved and approved both amendments by roll call.
