Prince George County Zoning Rewrite Is Greener, Less Car-Dependent

Taking a favorable view toward the Maryland county's proposed zoning ordinance, Bryan Barnett-Woods writes, "The current zoning ordinance is more than 50 years old [...] In the past several decades, piecemeal updates and amendments to the code have been made to address specific issues or specific areas. The result is a 1,200-page, overly complex code with varying processes, inconsistent standards, regulations within regulations, and a non-intuitive structure."

The new code would require increased attention to green building standards. It would also reduce parking minimums, and even eliminate them for projects next to Metrorail stations. 

Another stipulation "would require developers of large projects to meet with members of the public and inform them of their development plans even before an application is submitted to the Planning Department."

"The proposed ordinance is still a draft and has not yet been adopted by the County Council, nor endorsed by the Prince George's County Planning Board. Both the Council and the Prince George's County Planning Department are soliciting comments and suggestions from the public until mid-December."