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North East adopts zoning definition changes and weighs temporary fee waivers to attract businesses
Summary
The Town of North East adopted Ordinance 2026‑06‑01 updating assisted‑living and adaptive‑reuse definitions and discussed Resolution 2026‑05‑09 to temporarily waive planning and zoning fees to encourage investment; the waiver will be revised and returned to the Board on June 24, 2026.
The Town of North East on June 10 adopted Ordinance 2026‑06‑01, amending definitions for Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes and adding an Adaptive Reuse Development definition across multiple zoning sections, and discussed a proposal to temporarily waive Planning & Zoning fees to encourage business investment.
Vice‑Mayor Kimberly Davis moved to adopt the ordinance after Town Administrator Mellisa Cook‑MacKenzie read the measure into the record and noted the Planning Commission and David Dahlstrom of the Maryland Department of Planning supported the amendments. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hilary Crothers‑Moore and approved unanimously.
Mayor Kelly Benson framed a separate, staff‑led proposal, Resolution 2026‑05‑09, to waive selected Planning & Zoning fees for a limited period as a means to counteract a perception that "the Town of North East is not business friendly." Benson said the intent is to "send a message" that "North East is opened for business," and suggested a one‑ or two‑year waiver period to encourage new investment.
Town Administrator Mellisa Cook‑MacKenzie told the Board she will revise Resolution 2026‑05‑09 to reflect the inclusion of Adaptive Reuse Development applications and return a comparison of last year’s fee collections versus the FY2026‑27 budget at the next meeting on June 24. The fee items discussed as typical small charges include Change of Use Permit ($35), Sign Permits ($15), Special Exceptions ($250–$300) and Variances ($200); Cook‑MacKenzie said she will provide exact revenue figures for the Board’s review.
David Dahlstrom of the Maryland Department of Planning attended the Planning Commission review and is recorded as having given approval to the ordinance amendments. No public comments were offered during the hearing.
The Board did not adopt the fee‑waiver resolution on June 10; Cook‑MacKenzie will circulate a revised draft and fiscal impact summary for formal consideration at the June 24 meeting.
The ordinance change updates multiple sections of the Town Code (Definitions, District Regulations and Supplemental Regulations) that town officials said will clarify permitted uses and enable adaptive reuse projects to move through review more predictably.
