The City of Rockville only accepts electronic plans for submission and review. Review, markups, comments, and approval stamps will be made electronically.
Submit new development applications (site plans, special exceptions, plats, project plans, forestry, variances) and associated plans and documents by email to cpds@rockvillemd.gov. Resubmittals for these cases should also be sent to cpds@rockvillemd.gov.
Submission requirements and applications are listed below. If you are unsure of the application you need, view the Development Review Procedures Manual to learn more about the types of applications. View the Fee Schedule for all development application fees.
For a second opinion from a supervisor or the director, please refer to the Customer Bill of Rights.
Customer ResourcesA Pre-application Meeting Application must be completed before any Project Plan (PJT), Site Plan (STP), or Special Exception (SPX) Applications may be filed. The PAM outlines a development proposal and initiates a meeting with the city's Development Review Committee (DRC) and a planning project manager. At that meeting, the city will provide additional guidance on the required applications and permits.
An Administrative Appeal Application may be submitted by any person aggrieved by a final decision of the Chief of Zoning on a Site Plan Application, a Nonconforming Alteration Application, or on an interpretation of an approval of the Planning Commission or other approving authority. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.04.06(b) for more on administrative appeals.
An Annexation Application is required for any property that seeks to be annexed into the city's corporate boundaries. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.02.04 for more on annexation application procedures and requirements.
A Conditional Use Application is required for an attached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in residential zones. An attached accessory dwelling unit (or accessory apartment) is a secondary living unit enclosed within or attached to a single-unit detached house. Examples include a basement conversion or home addition. Rockville allows attached ADUs, given that certain conditions are met. For more information, see the recently adopted ordinance at TXT2023-00263.
Note: The application at the button below must be done in MGO Connect. If you haven't used MGO before, you will need to create an account. Please use only the Conditional Use Application. For all other permit applications, please apply through www.mygovernmentonline.org.
A Development Rights & Responsibilities Agreement Application vests development rights for a defined period of time, allowing developers to proceed with long-term development projects. In exchange, the city may seek enhanced public benefits from the project. The DRA legislation is located within Chapter 7.5 of the City Code.
Any change to the official Zoning Map must be considered through a Map Amendment Application. A map amendment may be considered as a local, sectional, or comprehensive map amendment, depending on its size and scope. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.06.01 for more on map amendment applications.
Whenever property is proposed to be assembled, subdivided, or redefined, a Subdivision Plan Application must be submitted to ensure the property is being disposed of legally and adequately. To find out more on subdivision plans, final record plats, and ownership plats, see Zoning Ordinance Article 21.
All major development projects in the city that attain a certain number of points under the city's development review point system are required to proceed under a Project Plan Application. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.07.01(b) and Section 25.07.08 for information on project plan applications and review, and Section 25.07.02 for information on the city's development review point system.
Most new development projects in the city are required to proceed under a Site Plan Application. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.07.01(a) and Sections 25.07.04 through 25.07.07 for information on site plan applications and review, and Section 25.07.02 for information on the city's development review point system. Developed sites that are seeking to redevelop with major or minor changes can be reviewed under a Site Plan Amendment Application. See Section 25.05.07 for more information on site plan amendments.
Certain types of land uses require special consideration before they may locate within the city. Where a land use is listed as requiring a special exception in the Zoning Ordinance, a Special Exception Application must be approved prior to any site plan review. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.07.01(c), Section 25.07.08, and Article 15 for information on the review of special exceptions.
An application to permanently close and abandon any public way of the city shall be submitted with a Street Closing and Abandonment Application. For more on requesting a street closing or abandonment, see Chapter 21, Article 5, Division 2 of the City Code.
Any temporary structure for a construction project or short-term activity in the city, such as Christmas tree sales, carnivals, and farmers markets, requires the review and approval of a Temporary Use Permit Application. Refer to the land use tables in Zoning Ordinance Articles 10 through 14 to determine what activities require a temporary use permit and Section 25.09.04 for permit requirements.
A text amendment is a process by which actual language in the Zoning Ordinance may be modified to clarify or modify the Zoning Ordinance regulations. For more on text amendment applications, see Zoning Ordinance Section 25.06.02.
A Time Extension Application is required for any project approval that needs extra time to be completed. The extension provision is discussed within the Zoning Ordinance for each application type.
A variance may be granted by the Board of Appeals to allow a deviation from the strict application of density, bulk, or area requirements of the development standards set forth in the Zoning Ordinance. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.06.03 for more on variance applications.
A nonconforming alteration may be granted by the Chief of Zoning to allow for structural alterations, expansions, or enlargements to a building, structure, or site containing a nonconforming use or development standards nonconformity as set forth in the Zoning Ordinance. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.08.08 for more on nonconforming alteration applications.
An administrative adjustment may be granted by the Chief of Zoning to allow a deviation from the strict application of certain development standards set forth in the Zoning Ordinance. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.06.05 for more on administrative adjustment applications.
A Modification of Variance Conditions of Approval Application allows consideration of one or more conditions established by a previous variance approval to be changed or eliminated. The process for consideration of a variance condition modification is similar to the approval of a variance. See Zoning Ordinance Section 25.06.03 for more on variance applications.
The Zoning Ordinance and the Landscaping, Screening and Lighting Manual identify specific standards that may be waived by the approving authority. The process is intended to provide flexibility to address constraints unique to a particular site or project. Additional information on requesting a waiver is explained in the Waiver Request Application.
When any historic structure is proposed to be altered or removed, a Historic District Commission Review Application is required to be reviewed by the Historic District Commission prior to the project proceeding. See Historic Designation for more information.
A Natural Resource Inventory / Forest Stand Delineation Application must be approved prior to the submission of the following plans: Special Exceptions (SPX), Site Plans (STP), Site Plan Amendments (STP), Project Plans (PJT), or Project Plan Amendments (PJT).
A Stormwater Management Permit Application is submitted for any development that involves five thousand (5,000) square feet or more of disturbed area. Please refer to Section 19-40 of the City Code and the Stormwater Management Permit page for the full scope on stormwater management policies and requirements within the City of Rockville.
