Baltimore City’s Zoning Code was written in 1971. The Planning Department has been working on a complete re-write of the zoning code for the last 10 years. The new code is designed to help the city be more walk-able, allowing, for example, coffee shops and retail shops to mix more closing in residential districts, to acknowledge and support the trend of creating housing in warehouse/industrial districts, and of creating more mixed-use and transit-oriented development projects. This project has been dubbed “Transform Baltimore”.
The City Council voted to approve the new Zoning Code on Monday, December 5 and (now former) Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed the legislation Monday night. Mayor Catherine E. Pugh was sworn into office on Tuesday, December 6, making this legislation a landmark accomplishment of the SRB administration.
Click here to read the actual New Zoning Code
Click Here to see the new Zoning Map
Some key dates to remember: All permits submitted before Monday, June 5, 2017 will be reviewed under the current code. Any permit submitted on or after Monday, June 5, 2017 will be reviewed under the provisions of the new zoning code.
The new zoning code will not affect you if you are not doing any work on your property; if you are not making any changes to the way you use your property; or if you are not building something new on your property.