Prince George’s County launched the major undertaking of rewriting its aged Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations more than three years ago. Many countywide meetings and presentations later, it is not yet near the finish line but the focus is narrowing. It will be turned over to the county council fairly soon and it is beginning to be imaginable that there may someday be a light at the end of this tunnel.
On December 4 the city council held yet another meeting with Terri Hruby, acting director of the city’s planning department, Chad Williams, project director for the rewrite team with the planning department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC); and City Manager Nicole Ard.
Regarding the schedule going forward, Williams said he expects his office will complete analysis of the latest round of comments by early February and have the legislative draft ready for the county council by early spring. Depending upon the council’s schedule, it is likely they will not take action until the fall of 2018. The countywide map amendment would then be adopted in 2019. Since the new zoning ordinance will not take effect until the map amendment is adopted, public hearings will be held in conjunction with that event, and there will be an appeals process available when the map is released.
Read more of this story in the January 4 News Review.