PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY
CHAPTER CHAIR
Nate Forman , O'Malley Miles Nylen & Gilmore VICE CHAIR Victoria Ballestero STAFF CONTACT Griffin Benton |
Legislative and Regulatory Issues Impacting Prince George's County
March 2023
Rent Stabilization Bill Passes in Prince Georges CB 7-22 passed the Prince Georges County Council 9-1, the bill prohibits landlords from increasing rents beyond 3 percent for 12 months. A separate bill dealing with anti-rent gouging from CM Franklin, the Prince George’s County Rental Assistance Act of 2023, would place a 10 percent limit on rent increases for senior, veteran and disability-restricted designated housing. Landlords who do major renovations on the majority of their property or rebuild it completely would be excluded from the bill. The bill would also create a new rental assistance fund that would pay up to a year for a person or family making 50 percent or less of the area median income for the region. OCTOBER 2022 County Bill 77 – GENERAL PROVISIONS-TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS CB-77-2022 is a bill MBIA supported, submitted testimony and testified on. CB 77 is a clear and simple bill which provides assurance that a property which did not get the zone most similar to the zone it had previously can continue to operate and be viable. This bill is critical to economic development and smart growth with regard to existing properties at key locations throughout Prince Georges County. CB-77-20220 would allow for a smoother transition from the prior ordinance to the current ordinance until such time the development envisioned by the County is economically feasible. Update: The council voted favorably on CB 77 on October 25th. County Bills 60, 61 – Pre Developmental Meetings Council Bills 60 and 61 are both sponsored by Councilmember Dernoga that focus on the pre developmental meetings in through the new zoning ordinance. CB-60 is intended to make it easier for affected residents know about pre-application meetings. CB-61 seeks to address a provision in the new zoning ordinance that specifically excludes the summary of the pre-application from being entered into the case record. Both bills will be before the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee. MBIA has reached out to the sponsor expressing concerns with both proposals, currently the biggest issues applicants are facing with the new ordinance is the delays brought on through the pre developmental meeting requirements. MBIA will be monitoring the bills and submitting comments. Update – These bills were moved out of the COW and voted favorably by the full council with amendments. MBIA expressed issues with both bills and submitted testimony to the council. SEPTEMBER 2022 County Bills 60, 61 – Pre Developmental Meetings Council Bills 60 and 61 are both sponsored by Councilmember Dernoga that focus on the pre developmental meetings in through the new zoning ordinance. CB-60 is intended to make it easier for affected residents know about pre-application meetings. CB-61 seeks to address a provision in the new zoning ordinance that specifically excludes the summary of the pre-application from being entered into the case record. Both bills will be before the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee. MBIA has reached out to the sponsor expressing concerns with both proposals, currently the biggest issues applicants are facing with the new ordinance is the delays brought on through the pre developmental meeting requirements. MBIA will be monitoring the bills and submitting comments. JULY 2022 Building Energy Performance Standards – CB-26-22 CB 26-22 was introduced at the council this week by Councilmember Taveras. Her staff has reached out to the industry for feedback regarding the proposal and we will discuss amongst members. The bills is focused on Environmental Sustainability for Building Energy Use Benchmarking and Performance Standards. This bill would require certain buildings to be covered by benchmarking Requirements, establish energy performance standards for covered buildings with certain gross floor Areas, and create a Building Performance Improvement Board and Benchmarking Work Group. Similar legislation was just adopted in Montgomery County and the state has been looking to implement BEPS. Update: The bill was withdrawn County Bills 60, 61 – Pre Developmental Meetings Council Bills 60 and 61 are both sponsored by Councilmember Dernoga that focus on the pre developmental meetings in through the new zoning ordinance. CB-60 is intended to make it easier for affected residents know about pre-application meetings. CB-61 seeks to address a provision in the new zoning ordinance that specifically excludes the summary of the pre-application from being entered into the case record. Both bills will be before the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee. MBIA has reached out to the sponsor expressing concerns with both proposals, currently the biggest issues applicants are facing with the new ordinance is the delays brought on through the pre developmental meeting requirements. MBIA will be monitoring the bills and submitting comments. Prince Georges Climate Action Plan The Transportation and Environmental Committee adopted CR-32 (Climate Action Plan) with amendments last week. The resolution will not go before the full council, this resolution adopts the Prince George’s County Climate Action Commission’s Climate Action Plan for Prince George’s County. It establishes a County-wide emissions reduction goal. It directs the Department of Environment to lead implementation of the 26 priority recommendations in conjunction with other County agencies. It is important to note that this is not a regulatory document, but a guide to addressing these goals. Prince George's County Council - Reference No. CR-032-2022 (legistar.com) JUNE 2022 Building Energy Performance Standards – CB-26-22 CB 26-22 was introduced at the council this week by Councilmember Taveras. Her staff has reached out to the industry for feedback regarding the proposal and we will discuss amongst members. The bills is focused on Environmental Sustainability for Building Energy Use Benchmarking and Performance Standards. This bill would require certain buildings to be covered by benchmarking Requirements, establish energy performance standards for covered buildings with certain gross floor Areas, and create a Building Performance Improvement Board and Benchmarking Work Group. Similar legislation was just adopted in Montgomery County and the state has been looking to implement BEPS. Update: The bill was held from introduction a couple weeks back to rework some of the language, the bill would need to be filed by June 28th to be heard in 2022. Prince Georges FY23 Budget The FY 2023 proposed budget includes $5 billion in operating funds, an increase of $450 million or 9.9 percent over the FY 2022 budget. The general fund totals $4.2 billion, an increase of $405 million or 10.7 percent over the FY 2022 budget. The proposed budget includes $4.2 billion in revenues, the largest portion of which comes from outside aid to support the board of education. The FY 2023 proposed budget is bolstered by new federal and state aid, including significant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act – also included nearly $10 million in increased funding for economic development and affordable housing. Budget to voted and adopted on June 1st. New District 6 Councilmember A new interim member has been selected for a vacant seat on the Prince George's County Council after the previous council member (Davis) stepped down, triggering an appointment process. The Prince George's County Council voted 10 to 0 on Tuesday for District Heights Mayor Jonathan Medlock to fill the vacant District 6 council seat. Medlock was one of nine people who had applied for the interim seat, which will be filled permanently after the general election. Medlock is not a candidate in the race. MBIA will be meeting with the new councilmember in July. MAY 2022 Building Energy Performance Standards – CB-26-22 CB 26-22 was introduced at the council this week by Councilmember Taveras. Her staff has reached out to the industry for feedback regarding the proposal and we will discuss amongst members. The bills is focused on Environmental Sustainability for Building Energy Use Benchmarking and Performance Standards. This bill would require certain buildings to be covered by benchmarking Requirements, establish energy performance standards for covered buildings with certain gross floor Areas, and create a Building Performance Improvement Board and Benchmarking Work Group. Similar legislation was just adopted in Montgomery County and the state has been looking to implement BEPS. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure – CB-15-22 Last week the Prince Georges County Council has introduced CB 15-22 which would make it mandatory for certain new residential units, in this case single family and town homes to have infrastructure in place to allow electric vehicles to charge. A similar action was taken at the state level and went into effect October 1, 2021 making it a requirement for builders to offer the option of EV ready infrastructure to buyers or prospective buyers when constructing a new unit, similar bills also have been proposed in Frederick .The bill in Prince Georges calls for an implementation date of December 31st of this year – we have reviewed and sent testimony to the sponsor, as well as met with them last week. Our feedback touched on striking certain language form the bill, making it clear that this proposal calls for ONE cable and outlet, as well as pushing back the implementation date to July 1, 2023 should the bill pass. Update: The bill did pass the Committee of the Whole as amended with all of our requests included Prince Georges FY23 Budget The FY 2023 proposed budget includes $5 billion in operating funds, an increase of $450 million or 9.9 percent over the FY 2022 budget. The general fund totals $4.2 billion, an increase of $405 million or 10.7 percent over the FY 2022 budget. The proposed budget includes $4.2 billion in revenues, the largest portion of which comes from outside aid to support the board of education. The FY 2023 proposed budget is bolstered by new federal and state aid, including significant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act – also included nearly $10 million in increased funding for economic development and affordable housing. APRIL 2022 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure – CB-15-22 Last week the Prince Georges County Council has introduced CB 15-22 which would make it mandatory for certain new residential units, in this case single family and town homes to have infrastructure in place to allow electric vehicles to charge. A similar action was taken at the state level and went into effect October 1, 2021 making it a requirement for builders to offer the option of EV ready infrastructure to buyers or prospective buyers when constructing a new unit, similar bills also have been proposed in Frederick .The bill in Prince Georges calls for an implementation date of December 31st of this year – we have reviewed and sent testimony to the sponsor, as well as met with them last week. Our feedback touched on striking certain language form the bill, making it clear that this proposal calls for ONE cable and outlet, as well as pushing back the implementation date to July 1, 2023 should the bill pass. We are meeting again with the sponsor next week to discuss our comments prior to the bill going before the Committee of the Whole at the council. County Wide Map Amendment – Adopted The Prince Georges County Council on Monday adopted CR-136, this Resolution will approve the Countywide Sectional Map Amendment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Planning Board in the Endorsed Countywide Sectional Map Amendment. Update: The CWMA is set to take effect on April 1st – some feedback the county is seeking in regards to the newly adopted CMA Planned Development Plans- I think it will be safe to have this fee to be equal to the Basic Plan Amendment Fee - $5,000 plus $200 per acre up to and including 10 acres, plus $100 for each additional acre, with a $60,000 fee limit All PDP Amendments- one-half the original fee Buildable Lot Letters- Requesting MBIA’s feedback on the need of Buildable Lot Letters as it is not required by the Zoning Ordinance. Prince Georges FY23 Budget The FY 2023 proposed budget includes $5 billion in operating funds, an increase of $450 million or 9.9 percent over the FY 2022 budget. The general fund totals $4.2 billion, an increase of $405 million or 10.7 percent over the FY 2022 budget. The proposed budget includes $4.2 billion in revenues, the largest portion of which comes from outside aid to support the board of education. The FY 2023 proposed budget is bolstered by new federal and state aid, including significant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act – also included nearly $10 million in increased funding for economic development and affordable housing. MARCH 2022 The Prince Georges County Council on Monday adopted CR-136, this Resolution will approve the Countywide Sectional Map Amendment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Planning Board in the Endorsed Countywide Sectional Map Amendment. Update: The CWMA is set to take effect on April 1st – some feedback the county is seeking in regards to the newly adopted CMA 1. Planned Development Plans- I think it will be safe to have this fee to be equal to the Basic Plan Amendment Fee - $5,000 plus $200 per acre up to and including 10 acres, plus $100 for each additional acre, with a $60,000 fee limit All PDP Amendments- one-half the original fee 2. Interpretations for both the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations 3. Zoning Verification Letters- Fee title changed to, “Zoning Certification Letters”- no fee change of $50 per address or tax account. 4. Zoning Information Request Submittals- Up to 2 hours at no cost. All requests in excess of 2 hours are subject to a charge of $150 per hour. Typically these requests are filled within the 2 hour timeframe. This fee is similar to the Map and Data Analysis request from our Information Management Division. 5. Buildable Lot Letters- Requesting MBIA’s feedback on the need of Buildable Lot Letters as it is not required by the Zoning Ordinance. UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The Housing Opportunities for All workgroup has explored and discussed a universal design approach that would be applied not as a blanket policy but should cover a share of new units across new residential housing types. This is vastly different than the previously opposed bill that would apply universal design a blanket policy required on all new residential construction units. This new proposal is still being worked out in the county and would not take effect for at least three years. A draft version will be shared in the January/February. Update: A draft was shared with the industry, we offered comments/feedback, as well as provide data on how often this type of request comes from clients. Still TBD timeline on next steps, we will meet with county to discuss in March Prince Georges County Climate Action Plan The Climate Action Plan draft (link below) for Prince Georges County was released in mid-January, which aims to help reach the counties Carbon Emissions goal of 50 percent reduction by 2030. The plan call for 26 specific recommendations to tackle climate change, the plan is currently being briefed by county staff to the council, MBIA sent in comments and is taking meeting with councilmembers to discuss our feedback and next steps. The plan is not a regulatory document, but used as a roadmap to developing policy to address climate change. https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/3748/ClimateChange?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery District 8 – Prince Georges County Council Vacancy The vacancy has been filled by Edward Burrows, former Board of Education Member. He will be representing District 8 in the county, which is primarily the southern region of Prince Georges County. MBAI will be meeting with the new councilmember in the coming weeks. JANUARY 2022 County Wide Map Amendment – Adopted The Prince Georges County Council on Monday adopted CR-136, this Resolution will approve the Countywide Sectional Map Amendment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Planning Board in the Endorsed Countywide Sectional Map Amendment. The effective date is April 1st per staff. Implementing the new zoning code is a critical advancement for the county and marks the end of a nearly seven year process – resolution and staff report below: https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5337382&GUID=4D508A89-0803-4260-B89D-236F2C82BCEA&Options=&Search= UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The Housing Opportunities for All workgroup has explored and discussed a universal design approach that would be applied not as a blanket policy but should cover a share of new units across new residential housing types. This is vastly different than the previously opposed bill that would apply universal design a blanket policy required on all new residential construction units. This new proposal is still being worked out in the county and would not take effect for at least three years. A draft version will be shared in the January/February. Update: Draft shared with builder members, currently compiling comments to send back to county – meeting with CEs office in early January. Workgroup has been formed on this issue District 8 – Prince Georges County Council Vacancy Earlier this month Councilmember Monique Anderson-Walker resigned from the county council to focus on her bid for Lt. Governor, leaving the seat empty for the time being. According to the county charter, the council must adopt a resolution within seven days (which they did) and then hold a special primary election would take place within 45 to 60 days of the vacancy, followed by a special election. At this time no one has officially filed, MBIA will continue to monitor the process. DECEMBER 2021 County Wide Map Amendment – Adopted The Prince Georges County Council on Monday adopted CR-136, this Resolution will approve the Countywide Sectional Map Amendment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Planning Board in the Endorsed Countywide Sectional Map Amendment. The effective date is April 1st per staff. Implementing the new zoning code is a critical advancement for the county and marks the end of a nearly seven year process – resolution and staff report below: https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5337382&GUID=4D508A89-0803-4260-B89D-236F2C82BCEA&Options=&Search= UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The Housing Opportunities for All workgroup has explored and discussed a universal design approach that would be applied not as a blanket policy but should cover a share of new units across new residential housing types. This is vastly different than the previously opposed bill that would apply universal design a blanket policy required on all new residential construction units. This new proposal is still being worked out in the county and would not take effect for at least three years. A draft version will be shared in the January/February District 8 – Prince Georges County Council Vacancy Earlier this month Councilmember Monique Anderson-Walker resigned from the county council to focus on her bid for Lt. Governor, leaving the seat empty for the time being. According to the county charter, the council must adopt a resolution within seven days (which they did) and then hold a special primary election would take place within 45 to 60 days of the vacancy, followed by a special election. At this time no one has officially filed, MBIA will continue to monitor the process. OCTOBER 2021 CB-38-21 – Permit Fees – Reviews The bill would implement new fees for Site Road permit applications; specifically, two new fees: (1) fees for multiple plan reviews and (2) fees for multiple plan reviews for failure to include public roads and clarifies extension fees for grading, storm drain, and storm water management outside the public right of way - MBIA submitted testimony and requested that the bill be held due to some questions we had regarding the some of the language, as well as some confusion to how this legislation would apply to certain to practices such as peer review – we will be meeting with DPIE to discuss Update: DPIE accepted most of our comments – relating to thoroughness of reviews, third party reviews, frontage permits, and the fee figure. They are holding the fee figure at the original proposal, bill will be before COW in September CB-16-21 – APPEALS AND VARIANCES-CRITERIA This proposal would drastically amends the criteria for granting a variance, most importantly, it removes the “other extraordinary situations or conditions” justification for a variance. Important, but not as substantial is requiring that the variance will not be detrimental to the use and enjoyment of adjoining or neighboring properties. Update – A second draft of the bill was brought before the COW last week, the draft was sent us for our review. We resubmitted our comments, with still concerns but appreciative of the changes that the sponsor made to include our feedback – the bill was adopted by the council last week. New Bills CB-067-2021 for the purpose of amending the powers and duties of the County Board of Zoning Appeals to authorize the consideration and disposition of applications for variances from the strict application of the prohibition of front yard driveways for property in the R-55 and T-D-O Zones of Prince George’s County
CB-76-21 – looks to increase the minimum Tree Canopy Coverage for development in certain residential zones and eliminate certain exemptions to the TCO for Townhouse uses in residential development in the County CB-91-21- amends the required findings for Conceptual and Detailed Site Plans approvals to clarify that the Planning Board may consider whether a site plan application provides for development in accordance with the principles contained in the General Plan, Master Plan – MBIA opposing CR-082-2021 - increasing all fees maintained by the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, with such increase to be approved by the County Council after notice and public hearing -
County Wide Map Amendment – New Dates The Prince Georges County Planning Department announced early last week the fall dates for the CWMA process to move forward – all dates/locations are subject to change -September 13th – Public Hearing will be virtual for now, subject to change
-October 28th – Planning Board to transfer draft to Council -November 16th – Council adoption (tentative) CB-38-21 – Permit Fees – Reviews The bill would implement new fees for Site Road permit applications; specifically, two new fees: (1) fees for multiple plan reviews and (2) fees for multiple plan reviews for failure to include public roads and clarifies extension fees for grading, storm drain, and storm water management outside the public right of way - MBIA submitted testimony and requested that the bill be held due to some questions we had regarding the some of the language, as well as some confusion to how this legislation would apply to certain to practices such as peer review – we will be meeting with DPIE to discuss Update: The Bill was held and we submitted further comments/suggested amendments to DPIE, they have not gotten back to us on next steps. The bill will before COW again in the fall CB-16-21 – APPEALS AND VARIANCES-CRITERIA This proposal would drastically amend the criteria for granting a variance, most importantly, it removes the “other extraordinary situations or conditions” justification for a variance. Important, but not as substantial is requiring that the variance will not be detrimental to the use and enjoyment of adjoining or neighboring properties. The reasoning behind this bill was to align Prince George’s County variance legislation with recent court decisions, specifically on an unreported case involving the Clinton Wal-Mart, where in the Court of Special Appeals ruled that when granting an area variance, it is the land itself that justifies the variance, not the building. Moreover, the Court determined that when reviewing the land’s physical characteristics, the analysis must also include uniqueness in relation with the surrounding properties. This is why, in staff’s interpretation, “other extraordinary situations or conditions” in § 27-230(a) (1) needed to be removed. This wording, however, would seem to exclude other valid reasons to justify a variance, such as specific environmental, historic or access issues. Update – A second draft of the bill was brought before the COW last week; the draft was sent us for our review. The council voted to hold the bill over to September – we will be meeting with the sponsors in August https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4809837&GUID=89716D97-3D4F-4AFB-AECD-0A8434AAB35E&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-16 CB-25-21 - AN ACT CONCERNING PLANS AND STUDIES CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO THE COUNTY’S FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. Update – bill has yet to be brought back before COW, will keep the chapter updated https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857178&GUID=24CF9302-26CB-45CC-B30A-9971B362966A&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-25 CB-26-21 - UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – the bill has been introduced numerous times at the council in previous sessions and has not moved. We spoke with the councilmember back in December and shared our concerns we had in the previous versions, some modifications have been made in this such as waivers for certain components, but ultimately mandate of these proposals would be detrimental to housing affordability and inventory in the county, and would be a deterrent for building in Prince Georges County. We are opposing the measure. Update – the Housing for All Workgroup took the proposal up a few weeks back and heard from the building community and nonprofits. We had members present at the meeting and talked about the unintended consequences of a countywide mandate and the costs associated with this building option. We will continue to work with the council and the HOFA Workgroup https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857177&GUID=C126AD07-BD17-4CD9-A19C-10D073ADDDC3&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-26 JULY 2021 CB-38-21 – Permit Fees – Reviews The bill would implement new fees for Site Road permit applications; specifically, two new fees: (1) fees for multiple plan reviews and (2) fees for multiple plan reviews for failure to include public roads and clarifies extension fees for grading, storm drain, and storm water management outside the public right of way - MBIA submitted testimony and requested that the bill be held due to some questions we had regarding the some of the language, as well as some confusion to how this legislation would apply to certain to practices such as peer review – we will be meeting with DPIE to discuss CB-16-21 – APPEALS AND VARIANCES-CRITERIA This proposal would drastically amends the criteria for granting a variance, most importantly, it removes the “other extraordinary situations or conditions” justification for a variance. Important, but not as substantial is requiring that the variance will not be detrimental to the use and enjoyment of adjoining or neighboring properties. The reasoning behind this bill was to align Prince George’s County variance legislation with recent court decisions, specifically on an unreported case involving the Clinton Wal-Mart, where in the Court of Special Appeals ruled that when granting an area variance, it is the land itself that justifies the variance, not the building. Moreover, the Court determined that when reviewing the land’s physical characteristics, the analysis must also include uniqueness in relation with the surrounding properties. This is why, in staffs interpretation, “other extraordinary situations or conditions” in § 27-230(a) (1) needed to be removed. This wording, however, would seem to exclude other valid reasons to justify a variance, such as specific environmental, historic or access issues. Update – MBIA members met with Councilmember Dernoga to offer our comments and feedback, the bill should have a second draft coming out to address some of our comments, still no timeline on that occurring https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4809837&GUID=89716D97-3D4F-4AFB-AECD-0A8434AAB35E&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-16 CB-25-21 - AN ACT CONCERNING PLANS AND STUDIES CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO THE COUNTY’S FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. Update – bill has yet to be brought back before COW, will keep the chapter updated https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857178&GUID=24CF9302-26CB-45CC-B30A-9971B362966A&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-25 CB-26-21 - UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – the bill has been introduced numerous times at the council in previous sessions and has not moved. We spoke with the councilmember back in December and shared our concerns we had in the previous versions, some modifications have been made in this such as waivers for certain components, but ultimately mandate of these proposals would be detrimental to housing affordability and inventory in the county, and would be a deterrent for building in Prince Georges County. We are opposing the measure. Update – the Housing for All Workgroup took the proposal up a few weeks back and heard from the building community and nonprofits. We had members present at the meeting and talked about the unintended consequences of a countywide mandate and the costs associated with this building option. We will continued to work with the council and the HOFA Workgroup https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857177&GUID=C126AD07-BD17-4CD9-A19C-10D073ADDDC3&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-26 JUNE 2021 CB-16-21 – APPEALS AND VARIANCES-CRITERIA This proposal would drastically amend the criteria for granting a variance, most importantly, it removes the “other extraordinary situations or conditions” justification for a variance. Important, but not as substantial is requiring that the variance will not be detrimental to the use and enjoyment of adjoining or neighboring properties. The reasoning behind this bill was to align Prince George’s County variance legislation with recent court decisions, specifically on an unreported case involving the Clinton Wal-Mart, where in the Court of Special Appeals ruled that when granting an area variance, it is the land itself that justifies the variance, not the building. Moreover, the Court determined that when reviewing the land’s physical characteristics, the analysis must also include uniqueness in relation with the surrounding properties. This is why, in staff’s interpretation, “other extraordinary situations or conditions” in § 27-230(a) (1) needed to be removed. This wording, however, would seem to exclude other valid reasons to justify a variance, such as specific environmental, historic or access issues. The bill has not yet gone before the COW, we will be meeting with the bills primary sponsor Councilmember Dernoga in the next two weeks to discuss and offer our feedback. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4809837&GUID=89716D97-3D4F-4AFB-AECD-0A8434AAB35E&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-16 CB-25-21 - AN ACT CONCERNING PLANS AND STUDIES CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO THE COUNTY’S FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – we opposed the measure last session and will most likely do so this time around, comments on this are due back to the committee on April 6th. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857178&GUID=24CF9302-26CB-45CC-B30A-9971B362966A&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-25 CB-26-21 - UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – the bill has been introduced numerous times at the council in previous sessions and has not moved. We spoke with the councilmember back in December and shared our concerns we had in the previous versions, some modifications have been made in this such as waivers for certain components, but ultimately mandate of these proposals would be detrimental to housing affordability and inventory in the county, and would be a deterrent for building in Prince Georges County. We are opposing the measure. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857177&GUID=C126AD07-BD17-4CD9-A19C-10D073ADDDC3&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-26 May 2021 CB-16-21 – APPEALS AND VARIANCES-CRITERIA This proposal would drastically amend the criteria for granting a variance, most importantly, it removes the “other extraordinary situations or conditions” justification for a variance. Important, but not as substantial is requiring that the variance will not be detrimental to the use and enjoyment of adjoining or neighboring properties. The reasoning behind this bill was to align Prince George’s County variance legislation with recent court decisions, specifically on an unreported case involving the Clinton Wal-Mart, where in the Court of Special Appeals ruled that when granting an area variance, it is the land itself that justifies the variance, not the building. Moreover, the Court determined that when reviewing the land’s physical characteristics, the analysis must also include uniqueness in relation with the surrounding properties. This is why, in staff’s interpretation, “other extraordinary situations or conditions” in § 27-230(a) (1) needed to be removed. This wording, however, would seem to exclude other valid reasons to justify a variance, such as specific environmental, historic or access issues. The bill has not yet gone before the COW, we will be meeting with the bills primary sponsor Councilmember Dernoga in the next two weeks to discuss and offer our feedback. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4809837&GUID=89716D97-3D4F-4AFB-AECD-0A8434AAB35E&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-16 CB-25-21 - AN ACT CONCERNING PLANS AND STUDIES CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO THE COUNTY’S FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – we opposed the measure last session and will most likely do so this time around, comments on this are due back to the committee on April 6th. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857178&GUID=24CF9302-26CB-45CC-B30A-9971B362966A&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-25 CB-26-21 - UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – the bill has been introduced numerous times at the council in previous sessions and has not moved. We spoke with the councilmember back in December and shared our concerns we had in the previous versions, some modifications have been made in this such as waivers for certain components, but ultimately mandate of these proposals would be detrimental to housing affordability and inventory in the county, and would be a deterrent for building in Prince Georges County. We are opposing the measure. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857177&GUID=C126AD07-BD17-4CD9-A19C-10D073ADDDC3&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-26 Countywide Map Amendment – Update The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance The CMA is currently being held up to ethical concerns, based on the inability to form a quorum to vote on the measure due to councilmembers receiving campaign contributions from developers. The local bill 416-21 (HB980) sponsored by Delegate Barron would alter the definition of an “application” to exclude participation in adopting and approving a certain amendment to a countywide zoning map in Prince Georges County. House Bill 980 passed the general assembly with amendments – the bill takes effect July 1st. Major changes - Prohibit the Planning Board from recommending (and prohibits the County Council from approving) zoning intensification requests that differ substantially from zoning category or classification recommended in the Proposed Guide to New Zones, adopted by the district council on July 16, 2019 under Council Resolution 27–2019 (c) This is still sort of in limbo when it comes to the actual definition of substantially different – Requires the return of any contribution from an entity that files an affidavit and requests a zoning intensification that differs substantially from zoning category or classification recommended in the Proposed Guide to New Zones, adopted by the district council on July 16, 2019 under Council Resolution 27–2019. The funds must be returned prior to adoption of the CMA, as well as allowing the member to participate If you already filed an avadavat with the CMA you should not have to refile unless you made a contribution http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0980e.pdf APRIL 2021
CB-16-21 – APPEALS AND VARIANCES-CRITERIA This proposal would drastically amends the criteria for granting a variance, most importantly, it removes the “other extraordinary situations or conditions” justification for a variance. Important, but not as substantial is requiring that the variance will not be detrimental to the use and enjoyment of adjoining or neighboring properties. The reasoning behind this bill was to align Prince George’s County variance legislation with recent court decisions, specifically on an unreported case involving the Clinton Wal-Mart, where in the Court of Special Appeals ruled that when granting an area variance, it is the land itself that justifies the variance, not the building. Moreover, the Court determined that when reviewing the land’s physical characteristics, the analysis must also include uniqueness in relation with the surrounding properties. This is why, in staffs interpretation, “other extraordinary situations or conditions” in § 27-230(a) (1) needed to be removed. This wording, however, would seem to exclude other valid reasons to justify a variance, such as specific environmental, historic or access issues. The bill has not yet gone before the COW, we will be meeting with the bills primary sponsor Councilmember Dernoga in the next two weeks to discuss and offer our feedback. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4809837&GUID=89716D97-3D4F-4AFB-AECD-0A8434AAB35E&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-16 CB-25-21 - AN ACT CONCERNING PLANS AND STUDIES CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO THE COUNTY’S FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – we opposed the measure last session and will most likely do so this time around, comments on this are due back to the committee on April 6th. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857178&GUID=24CF9302-26CB-45CC-B30A-9971B362966A&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-25 CB-26-21 - UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND VISITABILITY DESIGN FOR HOUSING The proposal would provide that certain plans and studies required pursuant to the County’s Floodplain Ordinance include studies conducted by an independent third party; and generally relating to the Floodplain Ordinance. The proposal is being sponsored by Councilmember Anderson-Walker, this same legislation as proposed last session and was tabled. There are currently no co-sponsors – the bill has been introduced numerous times at the council in previous sessions and has not moved. We spoke with the councilmember back in December and shared our concerns we had in the previous versions, some modifications have been made in this such as waivers for certain components, but ultimately mandate of these proposals would be detrimental to housing affordability and inventory in the county, and would be a deterrent for building in Prince Georges County. We are opposing the measure. https://princegeorgescountymd.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4857177&GUID=C126AD07-BD17-4CD9-A19C-10D073ADDDC3&Options=ID|Text|&Search=cb-26 Countywide Map Amendment – Update The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance The CMA is currently being held up to ethical concerns, based on the inability to form a quorum to vote on the measure due to councilmembers receiving campaign contributions from developers. The local bill 416-21 (HB980) sponsored by Delegate Barron would alter the definition of an “application” to exclude participation in adopting and approving a certain amendment to a countywide zoning map in Prince Georges County. The bill was passed out of the House with amendments, and will now move to the Senate for a public hearing on April 1st in the Education, Health, and Environmental Committee. The council is now looking into announcing a date for the public hearing in the fall. http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0980 2018 IRC Code Adoption -
Prince Georges County will be adopting the 2018 IRC Code, Currently in Prince Georges – they are in the process of adopting the 2018 code (CB 56-20), the code was adopted by the council on January 26, 2021, and will go into effect on February 15thofficially - there will be a 6 month grace period allowing the 2015 code to still be used. In addition, future Single Family and Townhouse Plans-on File (POF) submitted on or after July 2021, will be required to comply with the referenced new Codes. The currently approved POF’S with DPIE would need to be updated before July 2021. DPIE will review and approve revisions to the POF’s. Applicants will not be allowed to use POF’s that are not updated. Validity Period Extensions – CB 73-20, CB 74-20 The validity period extensions are two pieces of legislation, one focusing on site and design plans, and the other for preliminary plans of subdivisions. The main concern when we first spoke with the council on the proposal was giving continued extensions to “zombie projects,” that have been in the pipeline for years. The County Executive’s office and the Chair are proposed the following extensions to approved Preliminary Plans, DSPs and SDPs: The blanket legislation looks to give extensions in 1 and 2 year increments as seen below
Countywide Map Amendment – The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance The CMA is currently being held up to ethical concerns, based on the inability to form a quorum to vote on the measure due to councilmembers receiving campaign contributions from developers. The local bill 416-21, sponsored by Delegate Barron would alter the definition of an “application” to exclude participation in adopting and approving a certain amendment to a countywide zoning map in Prince Georges County. https://princegeorgeshousedelegation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/PG-416-21.pdf 2018 IRC Code Adoption - Prince Georges County will be adopting the 2018 IRC Code, Currently in Prince Georges – they are in the process of adopting the 2018 code (CB 56-20), the code was adopted by the council on January 26, 2021, and will go into effect on February 15thofficially - there will be a 6 month grace period allowing the 2015 code to still be used. In addition, future Single Family and Townhouse Plans-on File (POF) submitted on or after July 2021, will be required to comply with the referenced new Codes. The currently approved POF’S with DPIE would need to be updated before July 2021. DPIE will review and approve revisions to the POF’s. Applicants will not be allowed to use POF’s that are not updated. Validity Period Extensions – CB 73-20, CB 74-20 The validity period extensions are two pieces of legislation, one focusing on site and design plans, and the other for preliminary plans of subdivisions. The main concern when we first spoke with the council on the proposal was giving continued extensions to “zombie projects,” that have been in the pipeline for years. The County Executive’s office and the Chair are proposed the following extensions to approved Preliminary Plans, DSPs and SDPs: The blanket legislation looks to give extensions in 1 and 2 year increments as seen below
Countywide Map Amendment The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing was scheduled for March 23, 2020, has been postponed, and though no new has been announced. It will most likely be held sometime in September, as planning staff and the council are looking to hold limited in person hearings. The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing has been POSTPONED from the 11/19 date due to due concerns around COVID-19, will be rescheduled to 2021 2018 IRC Code Adoption -
Prince Georges County will be adopting the 2018 IRC Code, currently in Prince Georges – they are in the process of adopting the 2018 code (CB 56-20), the code will be adopted sometime in January, and there will be a 6-month grace period. In addition, future Single Family and Townhouse Plans-on File (POF) submitted on or after July 2021, will be required to comply with the referenced new Codes. The currently approved POF’S with DPIE would need to be updated before July 2021. DPIE will review and approve revisions to the POF’s. Applicants will not be allowed to use POF’s that are not updated. Letter to the Developers Builders regarding adoption of new Codes1 (part 1) - signed.pdf Validity Period Extensions – CB 73-20, CB 74-20 The validity period extensions are two pieces of legislation, one focusing on site and design plans, and the other for preliminary plans of subdivisions. The main concern when we first spoke with the council on the proposal was giving continued extensions to “zombie projects,” that have been in the pipeline for years. The County Executive’s office and the Chair are proposed the following extensions to approved Preliminary Plans, DSPs and SDPs: The blanket legislation looks to give extensions in 1- and 2-year increments as seen below
New Leadership – Council The Prince Georges County Council elected new leadership, as Council Vice Chair Calvin Hawkins will now serve as the 2021 council chair, replacing Todd Turner. Councilmember Deni Taveras will serve as the Vice Chair of the council in 2021. DPIE Retaining Wall Techno-Gram Prince Georges County DPIE has an internal work group that put together the attached Technogram pertaining to retaining walls. The agency has experienced several retaining wall failures in the last 18 months and therefore developed enhanced permitting and inspection procedures. Please email Griffin Benton (gbenton@marylandbuilders.org) for the draft retaining wall technogram and retaining wall inspection procedures. PG-DPIE is soliciting input from builders, engineers, contractors, before this is finalized. I am asking for any feedback or comments to be submitted me, DPIE is asking for them to be submitted by early December – please let me know if you have questions! Countywide Map Amendment The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance. The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing was scheduled for March 23, 2020, has been postponed, and though no new has been announced. It will most likely be held sometime in September, as planning staff and the council are looking to hold limited in person hearings. The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing has been POSTPONED from the 11/19 date due to due concerns around COVID-19, will be rescheduled to 2021. Validity Period Extensions – CB 73-20, CB 74-20
The validity period extensions are two pieces of legislation, one focusing on site and design plans, and the other for preliminary plans of subdivisions. The main concern when we first spoke with the council on the proposal was giving continued extensions to “zombie projects,” that have been in the pipeline for years. The County Executive’s office and the Chair are proposed the following extensions to approved Preliminary Plans, DSPs and SDPs: The blanket legislation looks to give extensions in 1 and 2 year increments as seen below
DPIE Retaining Wall Techno-Gram - Prince Georges County DPIE has an internal work group that put together the attached Technogram pertaining to retaining walls. The agency has experienced several retaining wall failures in the last 18 months and therefore developed enhanced permitting and inspection procedures. Please email Griffin Benton (gbenton@marylandbuilders.org) for the draft retaining wall technogram and retaining wall inspection procedures. PG-DPIE is soliciting input from builders, engineers, contractors, before this is finalized. I am asking for any feedback or comments to be submitted me, DPIE is asking for them in the next 4 to 6 weeks – please let me know if you have questions! Universal Design for Housing – CB 51-20 Councilmember Anderson-Walker has again introduced a universal design measure. The bill aims to establish a clear vision for the future of the County recognizing the “need to think holistically and grow sustainably and equitably”, the County Council proposes to adopt a Universal Design and Visibility Design mandate to market to a new generation of residents seeking innovation, comfort, and functionality; and preparation for assisting a population growing older by increasing their independence and mobility. She has reached out for support, but once again the issue we have points to the mandate clause. We point out that mandating something of this nature discourages builders from coming to Prince Georges County to build. We will work with the councilwoman on language that works for both parties. No official hearing date has been set, the bill has no co-sponsors. The bill is in the process of being re-drafted and some of the components removed – the bill was reintroduced earlier this month but was pulled and will not move forward legislatively this year. Countywide Map Amendment – The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing was scheduled for March 23, 2020, has been postponed, and though no new has been announced. It will most likely be held sometime in September, as planning staff and the council are looking to hold limited in person hearings. The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing has been RESCHEDULED as a Virtual CMA Joint Public Hearing (no in-person attendance) on November 19, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Sign up to speak below – https://pgccouncil.us/458/Public-Hearing-Notices-Sign-Up-to-Speak Validity Period Extensions – CB 73-20, CB 74-20
The validity period extensions are two pieces of legislation, one focusing on site and design plans, and the other for preliminary plans of subdivisions. The main concern when we first spoke with the council on the proposal was giving continued extensions to “zombie projects,” that have been in the pipeline for years. The County Executive’s office and the Chair are proposed the following extensions to approved Preliminary Plans, DSPs and SDPs: The blanket legislation looks to give extensions in 1 and 2 year increments as seen below
Homestead Property Tax Increase – CB 48-20 Councilmember Derrick Leon Davis introduced a measure that would alter the deadline to set the homestead property tax credit percentage consistent with State law and to provide that the homestead property tax credit percentage shall be no less than 100% or exceed 110 percent. For example, if you bought a home in Maryland for $300,000, your county could later assess the property as being worth more. Under state law, your home could be assessed for up to 10 percent more, meaning you’d now pay property taxes on a $330,000 home, and that amount could keep climbing. In Prince George’s County, voters decided long ago that’s too much and capped the increase amount. Instead of 10 percent, it’s stayed around 2 percent The measure would have asked voters on the November ballot whether to allow the council to weaken the homestead tax credit. The measure that was tabled — meaning it was not voted on at all — would have allowed the council to raise the cap to 10 percent. Universal Design for Housing – CB 51-20 Councilmember Anderson-Walker has again introduced a universal design measure. The bill aims to establish a clear vision for the future of the County recognizing the “need to think holistically and grow sustainably and equitably”, the County Council proposes to adopt an Universal Design and Visitability Design mandate to market to a new generation of residents seeking innovation, comfort, and functionality; and preparation for assisting a population growing older by increasing their independence and mobility. She has reached out for support, but once again the issue we have points to the mandate clause. We point out that mandating something of this nature discourages builders from coming to Prince Georges County to build. We will work with the councilwoman on language that works for both parties. No official hearing date has been set, the bill has no co-sponsors. The bill is in the process of being re-drafted and some of the components removed – bill should be reintroduced in early October Countywide Map Amendment The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing was scheduled for March 23, 2020, has been postponed, and though no new has been announced. It will most likely be held sometime in September, as planning staff and the council are looking to hold limited in person hearings. Homestead Property Tax Increase – CB 48-20
Councilmember Derrick Leon Davis introduced a measure that would alter the deadline to set the homestead property tax credit percentage consistent with State law and to provide that the homestead property tax credit percentage shall be no less than 100% or exceed 110 percent. For example, if you bought a home in Maryland for $300,000, your county could later assess the property as being worth more. Under state law, your home could be assessed for up to 10 percent more, meaning you’d now pay property taxes on a $330,000 home, and that amount could keep climbing. In Prince George’s County, voters decided long ago that’s too much and capped the increase amount. Instead of 10 percent, it’s stayed around 2 percent The measure would have asked voters on the November ballot whether to allow the council to weaken the homestead tax credit. The measure that was tabled — meaning it was not voted on at all — would have allowed the council to raise the cap to 10 percent. Universal Design for Housing – CB 51-20 Councilmember Anderson-Walker has again introduced a universal design measure. The bill aims to establish a clear vision for the future of the County recognizing the “need to think holistically and grow sustainably and equitably”, the County Council proposes to adopt an Universal Design and Visitability Design mandate to market to a new generation of residents seeking innovation, comfort, and functionality; and preparation for assisting a population growing older by increasing their independence and mobility. She has reached out for support, but once again the issue we have points to the mandate clause. We point out that mandating something of this nature discourages builders from coming to Prince Georges County to build. We will work with the councilwoman on language that works for both parties. No official hearing date has been set, the bill has no co-sponsors. Countywide Map Amendment The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance. The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing was scheduled for March 23, 2020, has been postponed, and though no new has been announced. It will most likely be held sometime in September, as planning staff and the council are looking to hold limited in person hearings. Subdivision and Development Review Committee (SDRC) Meetings The Subdivision and Development Review Committee meetings scheduled will not take place in the County Administration Building. Staff will be providing major issues memos to the designated planner and their supervisor. The supervisor or planner will be e-mailing comments and contacting applicants to schedule a time on Fridays to go over the complete list of SDRC comments. If further detailed information regarding comments is necessary, applicants will be provided the contact information for the reviewer to discuss in more detail for any necessary clarification. Check here to join SDRC virtual meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. Submitting and Processing Development Review Applications At this time, the Planning Department is operating business as usual. Applicants are encouraged to submit application packages to the Applications Section. Since members of the public are not permitted to enter the County Administration Building, the Planning Department is working to place a physical application submittal dropbox outside the building. All application submittals can be dropped off by applicants and staff will retrieve the packages by 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff is testing a means for electronic plan submittal and will provide more details very soon. Visit www.pgplanning.org for more details regarding the location of the dropbox and other submittal questions. JULY 2020
Pre-Construction Meetings Prior to Grading and Street Construction Permit Issuance
County Entering Phase II Prince George’s County entered will start a modified phase two of reopening on Monday, June 15th. Restaurants can operate with indoor and outdoor seating at 50% capacity. Retail stores can open at 50% capacity. Barbershops and salons can operate by appointment, at 50% capacity. Public and private outdoor pools can operate at 25% capacity. Indoor pools must stay closed. Nail salons, barbershops and massage parlors can open with safety precautions. Face masks still must be worn in stores and on public transit. Countywide Map Amendment The Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) is the second phase of the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project that will apply the new zones to properties in the County. The CMA covers Prince George’s Entire County except for the City of Laurel. The CMA will apply the new zoning regulations to land in the County and transition the existing zone to the most similar zone contained in the new Zoning Ordinance The Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing was scheduled for March 23, 2020, has been postponed, and though no new has been announced. It will most likely be held sometime in September, as planning staff and the council are looking to hold limited in person hearings. Prince George’s Soil Conservation District closed through July Effective Monday, June 29, 2020 these measures will remain in place through the end of July 2020. The District is open for business Monday-Friday 8am-4pm via email at pgscd@co.pg.md.us or by phone 301-574-5162 ext. 3. We will make every attempt to address emails and voice messages within 24 hours. Plans can be dropped off and picked up on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Subdivision and Development Review Committee (SDRC) Meetings The Subdivision and Development Review Committee meetings scheduled will not take place in the County Administration Building. Staff will be providing major issues memos to the designated planner and their supervisor. The supervisor or planner will be e-mailing comments and contacting applicants to schedule a time on Fridays to go over the complete list of SDRC comments. If further detailed information regarding comments is necessary, applicants will be provided the contact information for the reviewer to discuss in more detail for any necessary clarification. Check here to join SDRC virtual meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. Submitting and Processing Development Review Applications At this time, the Planning Department is operating business as usual. Applicants are encouraged to submit application packages to the Applications Section. Since members of the public are not permitted to enter the County Administration Building, the Planning Department is working to place a physical application submittal dropbox outside the building. All application submittals can be dropped off by applicants and staff will retrieve the packages by 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff is testing a means for electronic plan submittal and will provide more details very soon. Visit www.pgplanning.org for more details regarding the location of the dropbox and other submittal questions JUNE 2020
County FY 21 Budget –
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has revised her proposal for the fiscal 2021 operating budget as the economic fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic continues, with the county projecting a loss of $134 million in revenues. Prince George’s overwhelmingly has the state’s most confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, since Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency early last month after Maryland’s first known cases were reported. The subsequent shutdown of businesses statewide and the ripple effect on the economy caused Alsobrooks to scale back the $4.58 billion budget she initially proposed March 11th Submitting and Processing Development Review Applications At this time, the Planning Department is operating business as usual. Applicants are encouraged to submit application packages to the Applications Section. Since members of the public are not permitted to enter the County Administration Building, the Planning Department is working to place a physical application submittal dropbox outside the building. All application submittals can be dropped off by applicants and staff will retrieve the packages by 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff is testing a means for electronic plan submittal and will provide more details very soon. Visit www.pgplanning.org for more details regarding the location of the dropbox and other submittal questions. MAY 2020
Virtual Planning Board Hearing
Due to the concerns over the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and new procedures for social distancing, the Prince George's County Planning Board will provide a Virtual Planning Board Hearing. Members of the public are encouraged to participate in the following ways:
Registration and comment submissions must be received by Wednesday 10 a.m. before the meeting. Visit www.pgplanningboard.org to view the Planning Board agenda and for more information. The virtual hearing is subject to change. Check our website for updates or call 301-952-4110. Submitting and Processing Development Review Applications At this time, the Planning Department is operating business as usual. Applicants are encouraged to submit application packages to the Applications Section. Since members of the public are not permitted to enter the County Administration Building, the Planning Department is working to place a physical application submittal drop box outside the building. All application submittals can be dropped off by applicants and staff will retrieve the packages by 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff is testing a means for electronic plan submittal and will provide more details very soon. Visit www.pgplanning.org for more details regarding the location of the drop box and other submittal questions. Sign Posting for Development Review Cases The Planning Department will continue to meet and determine posting for development review applications. Applicants will continue to be notified by the Development Review Applications Section regarding when and how to pick up signs. The Planning Department has established a process to minimize direct physical contact and possible health risks during this time. Status of Planning Board Hearings Please visit the Prince George’s County Planning Board’s website at www.pgplanningboard.org for the most up-to-date information on Planning Board Hearings. Meetings with Planning Department Staff All meetings with Planning Department staff are being assessed to have a teleconference or remote meeting format. For each meeting, staff will be contacting meeting attendees and provide the applicant with detailed information regarding how to join the meeting. The department has various formats such as Microsoft Teams (MS Teams), Go To Meeting, and conference call-in phone lines. Subdivision and Development Review Committee (SDRC) Meetings The Subdivision and Development Review Committee meetings scheduled will not take place in the County Administration Building. Staff will be providing major issues memos to the designated planner and their supervisor. The supervisor or planner will be e-mailing comments and contacting applicants to schedule a time on Fridays to go over the complete list of SDRC comments. If further detailed information regarding comments is necessary, applicants will be provided the contact information for the reviewer to discuss in more detail for any necessary clarification. Check here to join SDRC virtual meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. DPIE Mandates Electronic Permitting Submittals through ePlan System for Retaining Walls Effective Wednesday, April 15, 2020, Building Permit applications for retaining walls must be submitted through ePlan system. The only exception to this requirement is for walk-thru retaining wall permits. Retaining walls not greater than 4′ 6″ in height, grade to top of the wall, typically will qualify for the walk-thru review process. DPIE Inspections Division Temporarily Suspends Some Inspections Due to an increased effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the following inspections will be temporarily suspended:
During this time, the contractor/owner/applicant may utilize APPROVED third-party inspections and provide certifications to complete all required inspections including U&O’s. All building final inspections require a WSSC sign off before they will be authorized. APPROVED Third-Party Inspectors Lists:
Any deviation from the list above must be preapproved by the Inspections Division. Please contact Code Enforcement Officer Joseph Busby at JMBusby@co.pg.md.us for any questions or concerns. The inspection certifications must be e-mailed to the County inspector to upload into ePermits, and the originals mailed to: INSPECTIONS DIVISION Prince George’s County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement 9200 Basil Court, Suite 307 Largo, MD 20774 DPIE’s Inspections Division will continue the following inspections:
Changes to DPIE Drop Box Effective immediately, the following Permitting and Plan Review drop box procedures are to be followed: Applicable Cases Cases/projects that were processed in the DPIE Permit Center prior to the close of business on March 13, 2020 may use the drop box to submit self-addressed, stamped envelopes or packaging large enough to accommodate return of plans and permit to applicant via USPS, FedEx or UPS. Non-Applicable Cases All new applications for commercial and residential projects must use the ePlan process. Please submit your application and select the ePlan Requested by the Applicant option BEFORE you submit your online application. After the application is submitted, the ePlan Team will send you a notification to upload your documents and plans for electronic review by all required disciplines; and once approved, the permit will be issued electronically. Permit revisions to cases/projects that were issued prior to the close of business on March 13, 2020 must use the ePlan process using the following link: eplan@co.pg.md.us. A narrative of what is being submitted for the revision must be included as indicated below: Narrative Requirements • Applicant Name • Email Address • Detailed Work Description • List of applicable drawings for review • Departmental reviews that have already been completed on the walk-thru application • Change of construction cost if applicable Checks Customers are encouraged to use the online payment process. Checks can be submitted via USPS mail or in the drop box* but must include a copy of the applicable Application or case number(s). The mailing address to DPIE is: Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, 9400 Peppercorn Place, 1st Floor, Largo, MD 20774, Attention: Permit Center. *Note: Use of the drop box for payment of permits is at the risk of the user, since an online payment option is available. DPIE cannot be held liable for missing or lost checks through this process. APRIL 2020
Countywide Map Amendment Joint Public Hearing Postponed
The State and County governments have declared public health emergencies, due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak. On March 17, 2020, the Prince George’s County Council adopted CR-10-2020, an Emergency Resolution that mandated the continuance of public meetings, sessions and hearings of the District Council for a period of sixty (60) days or until such time as the statewide emergency is lifted. Accordingly, the Joint Public Hearing of the District Council and the Prince George’s County Planning Board of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, concerning the proposed Countywide Map Amendment (CMA), scheduled for March 23, 2020, at 7:00 p.m., at the Prince George’s Community College, must be postponed and rescheduled, after the sixty (60) days have expired or the statewide emergency has been lifted. The public hearing is part of a process leading to the approval of a new zoning map, thereby implementing the zones contained in the new Zoning Ordinance for Prince George’s County adopted by the Council through Council Bill CB-13-2018 on October 23, 2018. The CMA is intended to implement the Zoning Ordinance by placing property in the new zone that is closest in uses and purposes to the property’s current zone. Upon rescheduling, the Joint Public Hearing would provide all interested persons the opportunity to express their views on the CMA. Submitting and Processing Development Review Applications At this time, the Planning Department is operating business as usual. Applicants are encouraged to submit application packages to the Applications Section. Since members of the public are not permitted to enter the County Administration Building, the Planning Department is working to place a physical application submittal dropbox outside the building. All application submittals can be dropped off by applicants and staff will retrieve the packages by 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff is currently testing a means for electronic plan submittal and will provide more details very soon. Visit www.pgplanning.org for more details regarding the location of the dropbox and other submittal questions. Sign Posting for Development Review Cases The Department will continue to meet and determine posting for development review applications. Applicants will continue to be notified by the Development Review Applications Section regarding when and how to pick up signs. The Planning Department have established a process to minimize direct physical contact and possible health risks during this time. Status of Planning Board Hearings At this time, only the March 19, 2020 Planning Board Hearing has been cancelled at this time. Please visit the Prince George’s County Planning Board’s website at www.pgplanningboard.org for the most up-to-date information on Planning Board Hearings. Meetings with Planning Department Staff All meetings with Planning Department staff are being assessed to have a teleconference or remote meeting format. For each meeting, staff will be contacting meeting attendees and provide the applicant with detailed information regarding how to join the meeting. The department has various formats such as Microsoft Teams (MS Teams), Go To Meeting, and conference call-in phone lines. March 20, 2020 Subdivision and Development Review Committee (SDRC) The Subdivision and Development Review Committee meeting scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2020, will not take place in the County Administration Building. Staff will be providing major issues memos to the designated planner and their supervisor. The supervisor or planner will be e-mailing comments and contacting applicants to schedule a time on Friday to go over the complete list of SDRC comments. If further detailed information regarding comments is necessary, applicants will be provided the contact information for the reviewer to discuss in more detail for any necessary clarification. Prince George’s Soil Conservation District Update Prince George’s Soil Conservation District offices are closed to the public, however they are open for business. All projects submissions are to be made at the District’s Headquarter in Upper Marlboro, MD. Please contact either District offices: Upper Marlboro Office – (301)574-5162; Largo Office – (301)883-3265 or pgscd@co.pg.md.us for project status updates and further guidance. SCD advised that all meetings and consultation with District staff will continue to be conducted via mutually accepted teleconference platforms until further notice. MARCH 2020
Joint Public Hearing on the Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) - March 23, 2020
The Prince George’s County Council and The Prince George's County Planning Board of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission will hold a Joint Public Hearing on the Countywide Sectional Map Amendment (CMA) for Prince George's County. Sign up here: http://pgplanning.org/1699/Testify-at-Public-Hearing to testify. The joint public hearing will be held: MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2020 7:00 P.M. PRINCE GEORGE’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE, COMMUNITY ROOMS A, B, AND C, LARGO STUDENT CENTER, 301 LARGO ROAD, LARGO, MARYLAND 20774 The public hearing is part of a process leading to the approval of a new zoning map, thereby implementing the zones contained in the new Zoning Ordinance for Prince George’s County adopted by the Council through Council Bill CB-13-2018 on October 23, 2018. The purpose of the Joint Public Hearing is to provide all interested persons the opportunity to express their views concerning the CMA. PG 407-20 - Ethics - Limitations on Applicant Campaign Contributions The Prince George’s County House Delegation voted favorably to support PG 407-20, a bill that would repeal the prohibition on an applicant or applicant's agent making a payment to the County Executive of Prince George's County or a slate that includes the County Executive during the pendency of certain applications. The bill sponsor is Del. Dereck Davis and the legislation is now scheduled to be heard in the House Way and Means Committee (HB-282). In addition, Del. Davis has introduced a statewide bill that would enact a statewide prohibition on all County Council Members, Mayors and Executives receiving developer campaign contributions. Del. Davis said that the goal of both bills is to seek equity across the board. FEBRUARY 2020
Prince George’s County House Delegation elects new Leadership
The Prince George’s County House Delegation elected Delegate Erek L. Barron, D-Dist. 24 as its Chair, and Delegate Julian Ivey, D-Dist. 47 (A) as its Vice Chair. These positions opened up as House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) named replacements for two high-ranking positions naming Delegate Michael Jackson as Vice Chair of Appropriations and Delegate Alonzo Washington as Vice Chair of Ways and Means. Police Response Times Could Affect Development in Parts of PG County
The Maryland-National Capitol Park and Planning Commission recently issued a memo that indicated that the first nine months of 2019 data showed that police districts five and seven have priority/emergency times that exceed the 10-minute emergency benchmark in every month. If the trend continues, developers looking to build in those districts could be denied due to inadequate police resources. Preparation of Floodplain Studies Has Been Suspended Effective December 1, 2019, Prince George’s County will no longer prepare 100-year floodplain studies using Department of Environment (DoE) staff. The County staff members who have prepared these studies are retiring. For this reason, the County will suspend this service. Preparation of these studies will resume after staff positions have been filled at some point in the future. Meanwhile, engineering firms will need to prepare the floodplain hydrology and hydraulic studies and delineations required for 100-year floodplain. For questions, contact Salman Babar, Floodplain Engineer, DPIE Site/Road Plan Review Division, at 301-636-2063 or call: 301-636-2063 or SUBabar@co.pg.md.us. 2018 Water and Sewer Plan The Prince George’s County Council has adopted the 2018 Water and Sewer Plan. The document is now available under the publications section on the DPIE website: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/1347/Publications. For water and sewer plan questions, please contact Shirley Branch, Water and Sewer Plan Coordinator, at sabranch@co.pg.md.us. |