Skip to content

Community Planning and Development Services Department

The Community Planning and Development Services Department oversees planning, historic preservation, affordable housing, development review and permitting activities throughout the city. Residents making improvements to their properties, and developers, regularly consult the department for assistance in determining whether projects are consistent with master plans, the zoning ordinance and other development regulations. The department supports five boards and commissions, including the Planning Commission, Historic District Commission, Sign Review Board, the Board of Appeals and Rockville Housing Enterprises.

In FY16, the department:

  • Assisted the Planning Commission with preparing its final Rockville Pike Neighborhood Plan recommendations for approval by the Mayor and Council.
  • Managed the Rockville 2040 master plan update process, including leading more than 30 listening sessions and four citywide forums, and completing trend reports addressing land use, community facilities, historic preservation, the economy and the environment. More than 500 community members attended the listening sessions, offering their visions for the city’s next 25 years. More than 110 people participated in the citywide forums held in April, May and June to develop master plan policies, goals and priorities.
  • Reviewed development plans and inspected construction, including the completion of Duball LLC’s Upton Apartments and Cambria Hotel & Suites mixed-use project in Town Center.
  • Implemented online permitting for certain building and trades permits.
  • Led the process to ensure the building code was amended and adopted on schedule, with business-friendly changes, without reducing life-safety measures.
  • Prepared household, population and employment projections as part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Round 9.0 Cooperative Forecast, a 30-year forecast of growth in the area.
  • Coordinated zoning text amendments, including an update to the historic preservation process, as the first phase of a multiphase effort to revise all historic preservation documents.
  • Coordinated with county and state officials on bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor planning efforts along MD 355 and Veirs Mill Road, and completed a study of options for bringing BRT routes to Rockville Town Center.

Most Recent Articles

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get the best of Rockville Reports delivered right to your email and stay up to date on what’s happening in our city.

Contact Us

Have a story idea? Email or call the City of Rockville’s Public Information Office.

About Rockville Reports

Rockville Reports is the official publication of the City of Rockville, published at City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850-2364.