Charles County, MD
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2023-04-25
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Division 2: Code of Ordinances and Resolutions
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Part II: General Legislation
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Chapter 297 Zoning Regulations
- Division 1: Code of Public Local Laws
- Ch 1 General Provisions
- Ch 4 (Reserved)
- Ch 5 Artificial Tanning Devices
- Ch 8 Bond Sales
- Ch 10 (Reserved)
- Ch 13 (Reserved)
- Ch 15 Building Code
- Ch 17 Building Projects
- Ch 21 Circuit Court
- Ch 24 Code Supplements
- Ch 27 Commissioners, County
- Ch 30 (Reserved)
- Ch 34 Dredging Operations
- Ch 37 Elderly Care Homes
- Ch 38 Election Districts
- Ch 41 Electrical Apparatus and Wiring
- Ch 44 (Reserved)
- Ch 45 False Alarms
- Ch 48 Fiscal and Administrative Services, Department of
- Ch 51 Firearms
- Ch 54 Volunteer Fire Companies, Rescue Squads, Mobile Intensive Care Units and Dive Rescue Units
- Ch 58 Garbage
- Ch 62 Heritage Commission
- Ch 64 Housing Cooperatives
- Ch 67 Hucksters
- Ch 69 Human Relations Commission
- Ch 70 Human Resources Committee
- Ch 72 Hunting
- Ch 75 Landings, Public
- Ch 77 Land Records
- Ch 79 Massage Establishments
- Ch 80 Medical Treatment and Facilities
- Ch 81 Minimum Livability Code
- Ch 85 Nuisances; Public Health
- Ch 87 Officers and Employees
- Ch 90 (Reserved)
- Ch 97 Planning and Growth Management, Department of; Facilities, Department of
- Ch 100 Right to Farm
- Ch 104 Roads and Bridges
- Ch 108 (Reserved)
- Ch 111 (Reserved)
- Ch 114 Scholarships
- Ch 116 Schools
- Ch 119 Self-Liquidating Projects
- Ch 122 Sewers and Drainage Systems
- Ch 125 Sheriff
- Ch 127 Smoking and Tobacco Products
- Ch 130 Trailers and Trailer Parks
- Ch 133 Trash Disposal
- Ch 136 (Reserved)
- Ch 140 Women's Commission
- Ch 145 Zoning
- Division 2: Code of Ordinances and Resolutions
- Part I: Administrative Legislation
- Ch 147 Advocacy Council for Children, Youth and Families
- Ch 148 Affirmative Action
- Ch 150 Appeals, Board of
- Ch 153 (Reserved)
- Ch 158 Clean Energy Loan Program
- Ch 162 Deferred Compensation Program
- Ch 164 Drug Enforcement and Education Special Reserve Fund
- Ch 166 Education Reimbursement Guidelines
- Ch 170 Ethics, Code of
- Ch 175 Grants
- Ch 178 Housing Authority Board
- Ch 180 (Reserved)
- Ch 185 Liability Indemnification
- Ch 187 Mental Health Services
- Ch 189 (Reserved)
- Ch 190 Nursing Scholarship Program
- Ch 192 Occupational Safety and Health
- Ch 197 Personnel Regulations
- Ch 200 Planning Commission
- Ch 203 Purchasing Procedures
- Ch 208 School Crossing Guards
- Ch 209 (Reserved)
- Ch 210 Sheriff's Office
- Ch 211 Substance Abuse Advisory Council
- Part II: General Legislation
- Ch 215 Agricultural Preservation Districts
- Ch 216 Alarm Systems
- Ch 218 Ambulances, Private
- Ch 224 Building Construction
- Ch 226 Cable Communications
- Ch 227 Car Sales
- Ch 228 Contractors
- Ch 230 Dogs and Other Animals
- Ch 234 Electrical Standards
- Ch 235 Farming
- Ch 236 Fees
- Ch 238 Flood Damage Control
- Ch 240 Gambling Permits
- Ch 241 Gas Standards
- Ch 244 Grading and Sedimentation Control
- Ch 245 Hazardous Materials
- Ch 247 Homeowners' Associations
- Ch 249 Impact Fees
- Ch 252 Land Use
- Ch 254 Landfills
- Ch 257 Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Courts
- Ch 260 Noise Control
- Ch 265 Real Property Transactions
- Ch 269 Scrap Metal Processors
- Ch 271 Senior Citizens Clubs
- Ch 274 Stormwater Management
- Ch 275 Watershed Protection and Restoration Program
- Ch 276 Streets, Roads and Sidewalks
- Ch 278 Subdivision Regulations
- Ch 281 Taxation
- Ch 283 Telephone Access to 911 Emergency Assistance
- Ch 284 (Reserved)
- Ch 287 Vehicles and Traffic
- Ch 291 Water and Sewers
- Ch 295 Disposable Products
- Ch 297 Zoning Regulations
- Ch 297 Art I Introduction
- § 297-1 Purpose.
- § 297-2 Statutory authority.
- § 297-3 Applicability.
- § 297-4 Violations and penalties.
- § 297-5 Zoning Map.
- § 297-6 Compliance required.
- § 297-7 Severability.
- § 297-8 Conflicting regulations.
- § 297-9 Rules of construction.
- § 297-10 through § 297-20. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art II General Provisions
- § 297-21 Interpretation of zone boundaries.
- § 297-22 Lots divided by zoning boundary lines.
- § 297-23 Amendments to the Official Zoning Map.
- § 297-24 Computation of time.
- § 297-25 General lot requirements.
- § 297-26 General yard requirements.
- § 297-27 Exceptions and modifications to minimum height requirements.
- § 297-28 Visibility at intersecting roads.
- § 297-29 Accessory uses and structures.
- § 297-30 Temporary uses.
- § 297-31 Smoke standards.
- § 297-32 Noise.
- § 297-33 Air pollution standards.
- § 297-34 Disposal of liquid wastes.
- § 297-35 Electrical disturbance or interference.
- § 297-36 Hazardous materials storage near railroad tracks.
- § 297-37 Change in use.
- § 297-38 Transportation element of Comprehensive Plan.
- § 297-39 Expiration of home occupation and cottage industry permits.
- § 297-40 Scenic and/or historic roads.
- § 297-41 through § 297-48. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art III Definitions and Interpretations
- § 297-49 Word usage; definitions.
- § 297-50 through § 297-60. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art IV Permissible Uses
- § 297-61 Use of designations P, PC and SE in Table of Permissible Uses.
- § 297-62 Permissible uses and specific exclusions.
- § 297-63 Table of Permissible Uses.
- § 297-64 through § 297-74. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art V Residential Density
- § 297-75 Residential density.
- § 297-76 through § 297-86. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art VI Base Zone Regulations
- § 297-87 AC Agricultural Conservation Zone.
- § 297-88 Rural zones.
- § 297-89 Village zones.
- § 297-90 Development district residential zones.
- § 297-91 Commercial zones.
- § 297-92 Industrial zones.
- § 297-93 Planned Unit Development (PUD) Zone.
- § 297-94 Waterfront Planned Community (WPC) Zone.
- § 297-95 Core Mixed-Use Zones.
- § 297-96 Utility transmission lines.
- § 297-97 Activity center zones.
- § 297-98 WCD Watershed Conservation District.
- § 297-99 Hughesville Village Zone (HV)
- § 297-100 (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art VII Planned Development Zone Regulations
- § 297-101 Objectives.
- § 297-102 General regulations.
- § 297-103 Master plan.
- § 297-104 Approval.
- § 297-105 Planned Residential Development (PRD) Zone.
- § 297-106 Mixed Use (MX) Zone.
- § 297-107 Planned Employment and Industrial Park (PEP) Zone.
- § 297-108 Planned Manufactured Home Park (PMH) Zone.
- § 297-109 Design guidelines and requirements.
- § 297-110 Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Zone.
- § 297-111 through § 297-114. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art VIII (Reserved)
- § 297-115 through § 297-125. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art IX Critical Area Zone (Overlay Zone)
- § 297-126 Purpose; statutory authority.
- § 297-127 Applicability.
- § 297-128 Definitions of terms applicable to Critical Area Zone.
- § 297-129 Official Critical Area Zone Maps and zone designations.
- § 297-130 Lots of record in Critical Area Zone; grandfather provisions.
- § 297-131 Critical Area Buffer regulations.
- § 297-132 Development standards.
- § 297-133 Site plans.
- § 297-134 Growth allocation (GA).
- § 297-135 Critical Area violations.
- § 297-136 Critical area administrative variance.
- § 297-137 Habitat protection areas and plans.
- § 297-138 through § 297-145. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art X Highway Corridor (Overlay Zone)
- § 297-146 Purposes.
- § 297-147 Establishment of zones.
- § 297-148 Affected development.
- § 297-149 Architectural standards.
- § 297-150 Access standards.
- § 297-151 Road buffer standards.
- § 297-152 Retention of natural buffers along road rights-of-way.
- § 297-153 Exemptions from buffer standards.
- § 297-154 Permitted activity in road buffer before and after development.
- § 297-155 through § 297-166. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XI Resource Protection Zone (RPZ) (Overlay Zone)
- § 297-167 Purpose.
- § 297-168 Scope.
- § 297-169 Application.
- § 297-170 Resource Protection Zone delineation.
- § 297-171 Minimum stream Buffer widths.
- § 297-172 Buffer adjustments for adjacent nontidal wetlands, one-hundred-year floodplains and steep slopes.
- § 297-173 Use restrictions.
- § 297-174 Permitted uses.
- § 297-175 Open space credit.
- § 297-176 Extension of RPZ.
- § 297-177 Adjustment of zone.
- § 297-178 Plans and plats information.
- § 297-179 Construction staking.
- § 297-180 Enforcement.
- § 297-181 Performance bond.
- § 297-182 RPZ variance provisions.
- § 297-183 through § 297-192. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XII Airport (Overlay Zone)
- § 297-193 through § 297-209. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XIII Minimum Standards for Special Exceptions and Uses Permitted With Conditions
- § 297-210 General provisions.
- § 297-211 Alphabetical listing.
- § 297-212 Uses corresponding with Table of Permissible Uses.
- § 297-213 through § 297-218. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XIV Cluster Development
- § 297-219 Purpose.
- § 297-220 General requirements.
- § 297-221 Residential dwelling types.
- § 297-222 Design requirements.
- § 297-223 Cluster open space.
- § 297-224 Review procedures for cluster developments.
- § 297-225 Required findings.
- § 297-226 (Reserved)
- § 297-227 Amendment of approved cluster developments.
- § 297-228 Cluster development requirement charts.
- § 297-229 through § 297-239. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XV Moderately Priced Dwellings
- § 297-240 Intent.
- § 297-241 Applicability.
- § 297-242 Requirements.
- § 297-243 Density bonus.
- § 297-244 through § 297-254. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XVI Adequate Public Facilities Requirements
- § 297-255 Purpose.
- § 297-256 Adequate public facilities required.
- § 297-257 Roads.
- § 297-258 Schools.
- § 297-259 Sewerage system.
- § 297-260 Water supply system.
- § 297-261 Fire suppression for rural areas.
- § 297-262 Stormwater management facilities.
- § 297-263 Adequate public facilities study.
- § 297-264 Mitigation.
- § 297-265 Bonding or surety.
- § 297-266 Standards, criteria and procedures for adequate public facilities studies.
- § 297-267 through § 297-276. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XVII Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) in Designated Agricultural Land Preservation Districts
- § 297-277 Introduction.
- § 297-278 Definitions.
- § 297-279 TDR sending areas; properties assigned transferable development rights.
- § 297-280 Ability to transfer development rights.
- § 297-281 Certificate of development options or rights.
- § 297-282 Instrument of transfer.
- § 297-283 Effect of transfer.
- § 297-284 TDR receiving area; use of transferable development rights.
- § 297-285 Approval of development using transferable development rights.
- § 297-286 Final approval of use.
- § 297-287 through § 297-296. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XVIII Site Design
- § 297-297 Purpose.
- § 297-298 General site design standards.
- § 297-299 Landscaping and tree planting standards.
- § 297-300 Lot coverage.
- § 297-301 Road and sidewalk requirements in subdivided and unsubdivided developments.
- § 297-302 Access standards for arterial roads.
- § 297-303 Utility ownership and easement rights.
- § 297-304 Utilities to be consistent with internal and external development.
- § 297-305 Lighting requirements.
- § 297-306 Lighting standards.
- § 297-307 Sites for and screening of dumpsters.
- § 297-308 Public transit accommodations.
- § 297-309 through § 297-318. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XIX Signs
- § 297-319 General provisions.
- § 297-320 Signs requiring neither permit nor payment of a fee.
- § 297-321 Prohibited signs.
- § 297-322 Signs requiring permit but no fee.
- § 297-323 Computations.
- § 297-324 Standards for specific types of signs.
- § 297-325 Event signs.
- § 297-326 Maintenance of signs and permits.
- § 297-327 Nonconforming signs.
- § 297-328 Real estate signs.
- § 297-329 through § 297-334. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XX Parking Facilities
- § 297-335 Number of parking spaces required.
- § 297-336 Parking space dimensions.
- § 297-337 Required widths of aisles and driveways.
- § 297-338 General design requirements.
- § 297-339 Parking area surfaces.
- § 297-340 Joint use of required parking spaces.
- § 297-341 Satellite parking.
- § 297-342 Special provisions for lots with existing buildings.
- § 297-343 Loading and unloading areas.
- § 297-344 Parking facilities for physically handicapped.
- § 297-345 through § 297-354. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXI Landscaping of Parking Facilities
- § 297-355 Intent.
- § 297-356 Sites affected.
- § 297-357 General design requirements.
- § 297-358 Perimeter landscaping.
- § 297-359 Interior landscaping.
- § 297-360 through § 297-369. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXII Screening and Trees
- § 297-370 Buffer yards.
- § 297-371 through § 297-381. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXIII Buffer Yard Requirements
- § 297-382 Buffer yard standards.
- § 297-383 Plant material.
- § 297-384 Structures.
- § 297-385 Illustrations of buffer yard and buffer yard structures.
- § 297-386 through § 297-396. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXIV Planning Commission
- § 297-397 Powers and duties.
- § 297-398 through § 297-408. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXV Board of Appeals
- § 297-409 Powers and duties.
- § 297-410 Filing fees.
- § 297-411 Notice of hearing.
- § 297-412 Public hearing required.
- § 297-413 Written decision.
- § 297-414 Revisory powers.
- § 297-415 Special exceptions.
- § 297-416 Variances.
- § 297-417 Appeals.
- § 297-418 Expansion or extension of nonconforming uses.
- § 297-419 Appeals to County Commissioners.
- § 297-420 through § 297-428. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXVI Zoning Officer
- § 297-429 Authority; powers and duties.
- § 297-430 Permits required.
- § 297-431 Applications for permits.
- § 297-432 Applications to be complete.
- § 297-433 Permit issuance.
- § 297-434 Permit violations.
- § 297-435 Inspection, supervision during installation.
- § 297-436 through § 297-446. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXVII Amendments
- § 297-447 Text amendments.
- § 297-448 Local map amendments.
- § 297-449 Procedure for amending provisions or conditions established in granting local map amendment.
- § 297-450 through § 297-460. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXVIII Nonconforming Uses
- § 297-461 Introduction.
- § 297-462 Determination of nonconforming situations.
- § 297-463 Developed nonconforming lots.
- § 297-464 Undeveloped nonconforming lots.
- § 297-465 Extension or enlargement of nonconforming situations.
- § 297-466 Repair; maintenance; reconstruction.
- § 297-467 Change in use of property where nonconforming situation exists.
- § 297-468 Abandonment and discontinuance of nonconforming situations.
- § 297-469 through § 297-479. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXIX Transition Provisions
- § 297-480 Approved or pending zoning permits, site plans or building permits.
- § 297-481 Approved or pending preliminary plats.
- § 297-482 Board of Appeals approvals.
- § 297-483 Zoning in effect prior to effective date of this chapter.
- § 297-484 through § 297-496. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXX Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreements
- § 297-497 Purpose.
- § 297-498 Authority.
- § 297-499 Applicability.
- § 297-500 Contents of development rights and responsibilities agreement.
- § 297-501 Referral to Planning Commission.
- § 297-502 Public hearing by County Commissioners.
- § 297-503 Amendment of agreements.
- § 297-504 Termination of agreements; suspension.
- § 297-505 Applicable laws, regulations and policies.
- § 297-506 through § 297-518. (Reserved)
- Ch 297 Art XXXI Historic Preservation Commission
- § 297-519 Purpose.
- § 297-520 Statutory authority.
- § 297-521 Definitions of terms applicable to historic area zoning.
- § 297-522 Historic Preservation Commission.
- § 297-523 Powers and duties.
- § 297-524 Designation.
- § 297-525 Application for certificate of approval and Commission review.
- § 297-526 Delegation of certificate of approval to staff.
- § 297-527 Routine maintenance.
- § 297-528 Minimum maintenance.
- § 297-529 Maryland Historical Trust.
- § 297-530 Appeals.
- § 297-531 Severability.
- § 297-532 Transition provisions.
- Ch 298 Forest Conservation
- Ch 299 Resilience Authority
- Disposition List
- Ch DL Disposition List
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners of
Charles County 8-31-1992 by Ord. No. 92-62.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Trailers and trailer parks — See Ch. 130.
Zoning Map — See Ch. 145.
Planning Commission — See Ch. 200.
Agricultural Preservation Districts — See Ch. 215.
Building construction — See Ch. 224.
Farming — See Ch. 235.
Fees — See Ch. 236.
Flood damage control — See Ch. 238.
Impact fees — See Ch. 249.
Land use — See Ch. 252.
Mobile homes and mobile home courts — See Ch. 257.
Stormwater management — See Ch. 274.
Subdivision regulations — See Ch. 278.
Forest conservation — See Ch. 298.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Figure IV, Table of Permissible Uses
Attachment 2 - Figure V, Residential DensitiesAttachment 3 - Figure VI, Schedules of Zone Regulations for Base ZonesAttachment 4 - Figure VII, Planned Development ZonesAttachment 5 - Figure X, Road Corridor Bufferyards and Building SetbacksAttachment 6 - Figure XIV, Cluster DevelopmentAttachment 7 - Figure XIX, Maximum Sign Size and Height by Road ClassificationAttachment 8 - Parking Occupancy Rate TableAttachment 9 - Figure XX-1, Table of Parking RequirementsAttachment 10 - Figure XXII, Bufferyards Between Adjacent ZonesAttachment 11 - Appendix A, Master Plan and Site Plan Required InformationAttachment 12 - Appendix B, Driveway SpecificationsAttachment 13 - Appendix C, Street Design and Construction SpecificationsAttachment 14 - Appendix D, Parking Area Surface SpecificationsAttachment 15 - Appendix E, Landscaping GuideAttachment 16 - Appendix F, Endorsements and Certifications for Major Subdivision PlatsAttachment 17 - Appendix G, Model Certifications and FormsAttachment 18 - Appendix H, Noise Levels GuideAttachment 19 - Appendix I, Design Criteria for Cluster Developments and Planned Development ZonesAttachment 20 - Appendix J, Historic/Scenic Road Inventory FormAttachment 21 - Appendix K, Pilot Ag Tourism Sign ProgramAttachment 22 - Appendix L, Swan Point Alternative for Buffer Modification AreasAttachment 23 - Appendix M, Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Shore Erosion Protection MeasuresAttachment 24 - Appendix N, Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Erosion Protection Measures Above Mean High WaterAttachment 25 - Appendix O, Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Habitat Protection Area Management GuidelinesAttachment 26 - Appendix P, Hughesville Streetscape Project Corridor[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 295,
Zoning, adopted 3-30-1992 by Res. No. 92-25.
