Zoning Code & 2020 Update
The Zoning Code is Article 32 of the City Code. Zoning regulations determine both the use of land and the layout of buildings developed on parcels of land.
2020 UpdateIn June of 2020, the Department of Planning began a review of the Zoning Code. The current Code was adopted in December 2016 with an effective date of June 2017. During the adoption process, the Department of Planning proposed having a regular update process for the code moving forward. The goal is to make updates, discovered through application of the code or due to new circumstances not considered in 2016. Thank you to everyone who participated in our virtual meeting on June 4th, commented online and/or reached out by email. Since the meeting, our team has worked in more detail on the requested addition of a new C-2-E overlay to allow for live entertainment. This bill will be moving forward to an August 17th introduction to City Council. Updates on this bill as it moves ahead will be posted on this webpage. We also had a lively discussion about parking requirements. Since our June meeting, Councilman Dorsey has introduced his own bill on this topic. It is City Council Bill #20-0561. On July 27th the City Council introduced an additional zoning Bill regarding Billboards on Rail right of way, City Council Bill #20-0570. Since these two bills are changes to the Zoning Code that would apply Citywide, the Department of Planning will host an informational meeting prior to a formal public hearing on these bills on August 18, 2020. A presentation from the August 18 meeting is avaliable via this link. Additionally, video from the meeting may be viewed via these livestream links: CCB#20-570 & CCB#20-561. On the rest of the amendments we discussed at the June 2020 meeting, this chart summarizes the direction we are using to draft legislation. We will continue to update here with schedules for meetings and hearings and as always if you have ideas or comments please email to [email protected] |
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Reading the Code: A Quick Guide
A glossary of terms common to the Zoning Code is available via this link.
- The use table tells you whether or not a given use is (1) permitted, (2) conditional or (3) not allowed for each zoning category.
- Conditional uses may be approved by either the Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals (BMZA) or the City Council (by ordinance) following a public hearing on the matter.
- The bulk regulations table tells you how large a building may be on a site - it tells you about height restrictions, minimum lot area, minimum size of yards, and maximum floor area ratios.
View the Zoning Code
- The full text of the Zoning Code is available via this link.
- A summary of each Zoning District is available here.
- An interactive map is available for viewers to explore Baltimore City's zoning.