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Commission briefed on draft zoning ordinance and map; nearby residents urge alternative rezoning for parcel adjacent to Newmark Commons
Summary
City staff briefed the Planning Commission on the draft zoning ordinance and comprehensive map amendment and announced an ambitious adoption schedule; several Newmark Commons residents testified opposing a staff‑proposed rezoning (ZORID17) to RMD‑25, urging compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods and asking the commission to consider retaining R90.
City planning staff gave the Planning Commission a detailed briefing Dec. 10 on the staff draft of a rewritten zoning ordinance and an accompanying comprehensive map amendment authorized for filing by Mayor and Council on Dec. 1.
Mr. Waslak, the planning staff liaison, summarized the process and schedule: orientation materials and a recorded orientation session are posted to Engage Rockville; staff recommended two public hearings and work sessions in January (orientation Jan. 7, hearings/work sessions Jan. 14 and Jan. 28), anticipated three work sessions to reach a recommendation and tentatively scheduled the Mayor and Council public hearing for April 13. Staff emphasized that the city posted a highlights document, the full staff draft of the zoning ordinance (nearly 300 pages) and a community engagement summary on Engage Rockville, and that both the ordinance draft and the zoning map have feedback forms.
Holly Simmons reviewed key features of the staff draft: the draft restructures the ordinance into 13 articles (down from 21), adds divisions to improve navigation, and carries forward use‑specific gross‑floor‑area limits in Article 6. She summarized mayor‑and‑council flags expected to come to the commission for review, including rezonings in Montrose and Newmark Commons, fencing and deer‑mesh rules, nonconformities and solar canopy rules, ADU alignment, notification requirements and the length of time to submit appeals.
During the public‑comment period opened by the commission, residents from the Newmark Commons area testified about a staff‑identified parcel (referred to in materials as ZORID17, approximately 9.75 acres) that the staff draft proposes to rezone to RMD‑25. Alex Belida, a homeowner at 705 Newmark Esplanade, said more than 600 residents had signed a petition asking that the parcel remain at its current designation (R90) or be rezoned to a less intensive classification. He and other speakers—Sandra Crowe (882 Newmark Esplanade), Susan Knowles (Farsta Court) and Martin Rees—asked the commission to consider neighborhood character, tree canopy, wetlands and stormwater features, and urged a site visit and compatibility with the 2040 comprehensive plan’s guidance on adjacency and design.
Commissioners thanked staff for the materials and said they expect to dig into matters such as parking minimums/maximums, pedestrian and bicycle chapters, amenity space, historic preservation and the process for board and commission review. Staff asked commissioners to forward any particular topics they want covered in January so staff can prepare. The commission confirmed the proposed two public hearings in January and adjourned.
