OPZ presents sweeping Article 18 rewrite to the Anne Arundel County Council
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Summary
The Office of Planning & Zoning briefed councilmembers on a 332-line-item comprehensive update to Article 18 (Planning & Zoning), the first full rewrite since 2005. The package includes ADU alignment with state law, new definitions (crematories, transitional housing), changes to contractor-yard rules, mobile-home provisions and many procedural clarifications.
The Office of Planning & Zoning presented a comprehensive rewrite of Article 18 to the County Council on Feb. 10, describing more than 332 line items intended to modernize and clarify the county’s planning and zoning code.
"The last comprehensive update to article 18 was in 2005, which was 21 years ago," Planning & Zoning Officer Jenny Dempsey told the council, noting staff tracked nearly 300 suggested amendments before drafting the final matrix. The office said it conducted a public comment period from Aug. 11 to Sept. 19, 2025 and received substantive feedback from industry groups and the general public.
Key elements included aligning accessory dwelling unit (ADU) definitions with recent state law while retaining a county cap on detached ADUs (800 square feet or 50% of the principal structure), clarifying accessory structure rules and simplifying notice rules for administrative hearings (a straight 300-foot notice radius). OPZ also proposed new and revised use definitions, including crematories (standalone and accessory-to-funeral-home options), a transitional housing use with bed-count and lot-size conditions (baseline allowance up to 40 beds on a minimum 2-acre lot, with additional acres required for larger facilities), and clearer standards for contractor shops and outside storage.
Staff said some changes respond directly to state law (for example, mobile homes outside of parks are being added as a conditional use consistent with state statute) while others codify existing practice to reduce confusion. OPZ recommended removing a seldom-used "20-year registered use" allowance that had legalized certain longstanding, previously-unapproved uses and created enforcement challenges.
Councilmembers raised questions about specific items — including where crematories would be allowed, the classification of private/community pools, and whether food trucks could operate on county roadways — and OPZ staff said they would follow up on details. Councilmembers also discussed process: OPZ said the bill has been filed with the council office and another work session is scheduled for March; staff urged members to direct stakeholder questions to OPZ so the office can prepare concise responses for the public hearing.
What’s next: The administration plans to introduce the bill in March and OPZ expects a further work session; staff asked councilmembers to consolidate questions to avoid hundreds of piecemeal amendments and to help the public hearing run efficiently.
