Mtn. Lake Park Zoning Ordinance

Download the Zoning Ordinance, including amendments through Amendment No. 2021-01, by clicking Zoning Ordinance w/amendments.  



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Zoning Ordinance

Amendments since 2016:


2019-02 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Basketball Hoops

2019-03 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Residential Living Facilities, Transient

Rental Housing and Miscellaneous Uses

2020-01 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Electronic Signs

2021-01 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Renewable Energy Source

2022-02 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Fences

2023-01 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Fences

2023-02 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Transient Rental Housing, Airbnb, VRBO

2023-04 Zoning Ordinance Amendment Nuisance Ordinance




Zoning Ordinance

December 5, 2013

(with amendments through 2016)


The Mayor & Town Council

P.O. Box 2182

Mountain Lake Park, Maryland 21550

301-334-2250



TABLE OF CONTENTS


ARTICLE 1.    SHORT TITLE, SCOPE, PURPOSE, INTERPRETATION

                   AND REPEAL OF OTHER ORDINANCES

PAGE

  

  100 Short Title  ................................................................................... 1

  101 Scope  .......................................................................................... 1

  102 Purpose  ....................................................................................... 1-2

  103 Interpretation  .............................................................................. 2

  104 Repeal of Other Ordinances  ....................................................... 2


 ARTICLE 2. DEFINITIONS



  200 General  ....................................................................................... 3

  201 Accessory Use or Building  ......................................................... 3

  202 Abandoned Vehicle  ..................................................................... 4

  203 Adult Use  .................................................................................... 4

  204 Agriculture ................................................................................... 5

  205 Alley  ........................................................................................... 5

  206 Alterations  .................................................................................. 5

  207 Area  ............................................................................................ 5

  208 Automotive Service Station  ........................................................ 5

  209 Bed and Breakfast Home  ............................................................ 5

  210 Building  ...................................................................................... 6

  211 Building Coverage  ...................................................................... 6

  212 Building Height  .......................................................................... 6

  213 Building Setback Lines  .............................................................. 6

  214 Debris  ......................................................................................... 6

  215 Discarded Materials  ................................................................... 6

  216 Dwelling  ..................................................................................... 7-8

  217 Family  ......................................................................................... 8

  218 Group Home  ............................................................................... 8

  219 Home Professional, Home Occupation  ...................................... 8

  220 Hotel, Motel or Motor Hotel  ...................................................... 8

  221 Household Pets  ........................................................................... 9

  222 Junk  ............................................................................................ 9

  223 Junk Vehicle ................................................................................ 9

  224 Junkyard  ..................................................................................... 9

  225 Lot  .............................................................................................. 9

  226 Lot Line  ...................................................................................... 10

  227 Mobile Home  ............................................................................. 10

  228 Nonconforming Status  ............................................................... 10

  229 Nonconforming Structure or Lot  ............................................... 11

  230 Nonconforming Use  ................................................................... 11

  231 Poultry  ........................................................................................ 11

  232 Rooming, Boarding or Lodging House  ...................................... 11


PAGE

  

  232A Senior Center  .............................................................................. 11

  232B Senior Multi-Family Housing  .................................................... 11

  233 Sewer  .......................................................................................... 11-12

  234 Sign  ............................................................................................. 12

  235 Special Exception Use  ................................................................ 12

  236 Street  ........................................................................................... 12

  237 Street Line  ................................................................................... 13

  238 Structure  ..................................................................................... 13

  239 Travel Trailer  .............................................................................. 13

  240 Travel Trailer Park  ...................................................................... 13

  241 Use  .............................................................................................. 13

  242 Variance  ...................................................................................... 13

  243 Veterinary Office or Animal Hospital  ......................................... 14

  244 Water  ........................................................................................... 14

  245 Yard  ............................................................................................. 14

 

 ARTICLE 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS, ZONING MAP AND

BOUNDARY INTERPRETATION, ZONING FOR ANNEXED

AREAS

  

  300 Establishment of Districts  .......................................................... 15

  301 Zoning Map  ............................................................................... 15

  302 Interpretation of District Boundaries  ......................................... 15-16

  303 Newly Annexed Areas  ............................................................... 16


ARTICLE 4. USE REGULATIONS


  400 Applicability of Regulations  .......................................................   17

  401 Uses by Right, Uses not Permitted, and Uses by Special

                       Exception  ............................................................................    17

  402 Uses Subject to Other Regulations  ............................................    17-18

  403 Pre-existing Special Exception Uses  .........................................    18

  404 Temporary Accessory Uses  ......................................................     18

  405 Table of Use Regulations  ..........................................................    19-27

  407 Satellite TV Dishes, TRO Dishes or Stations, Earth Stations and

                       the Like  ..............................................................................     28

  408 Vending Machines  ....................................................................     28


ARTICLE 5. GENERAL REGULATIONS


LOT AREA AND LOT WIDTH REGULATIONS

  500 Dimensional Requirements  ...........................................................  29

  501 Table of Dimensional Requirements for Principal Uses  ...............  29-30

  502 Lot Area or Yard Required  ...........................................................        30

  503 Exceptions to Minimum Lot Sizes and Lot Widths  ......................  30

  504 Front Yard Reduction  ....................................................................       30

  505 Traffic Visibility Across Corners (clear sight triangle)  .................  31

YARD AND HEIGHT REGULATIONS

  506 Permitted Projections into Required Yards  ...................................  31

  507 Accessory Buildings in Side and Rear Yards  ................................       32

  508 Front and Side Yards of Corner Lots  .............................................       32

  509 Height Exceptions of Maximum Regulations  ................................. 32


                                                                                                                               PAGE


  510 Environmental Protection--Flood Plains  ......................................... 32-36

  511 Screening of Outdoor Storage Areas  .............................................. 36-37

  512 Setbacks for Satellite Dishes, Antennae, Etc.  .................................. 37

  513 Steep Slopes (Over Thirty Percent)  ................................................. 37-38

  514 Stream Buffers  ................................................................................. 38-39

  515 Flood-Prone Areas  ............................................................................ 39

  516 Notification of Endangered and Threatened Species and Wetlands  .... 39


 ARTICLE 6. OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING



  600 Required Off-Street Parking Space  ................................................    40-42

  601 General Regulations Applying to Required Off-Street Parking

                       Facilities  ..................................................................................    43

  602 Design Standards  ...........................................................................  43-44

  603 Off-Street Loading  ........................................................................  44-45


 ARTICLE 7. SIGNS



  700 Intent and Exemptions from the Terms of this Article  ...................  46

  701 Word Interpretation  .......................................................................  46

  702 Area of Sign  ..................................................................................  46-47

  703 Permit Requirements for Signs  .....................................................    47

  704 Signs Permitted in "Residential" Districts  .....................................  47-49

  705 Signs Permitted in the "Commercial" Districts  ..............................  49

  706 General Sign Regulations  ..............................................................  50-51


 ARTICLES 8. NONCONFORMITIES



  800 Continuation  .................................................................................  52

  801 Nonconforming Buildings and Structures  ....................................  52

  802 Nonconforming Special Exception Uses  ......................................  52

  803 Nonconforming Use Permits  ........................................................  52

  804 Application  ....................................................................................  53

  805 Alteration, Expansion or Extension  ...............................................  53

  806 Restoration ....................................................................................     54

  807 Abandonment  ................................................................................     55

  808 Changes  ........................................................................................  55

  

 ARTICLE 9. ADMINISTRATION


  900 Zoning Administrator-Duties and Powers  ....................................  56-58

  901 Zoning Permits  .............................................................................  58

  902 Application Requirements for Zoning Permits  .............................  58

  903 Fees  ..............................................................................................   59

  904 Life of a Permit  .............................................................................  59


PAGE

   

 ARTICLE 10. BOARD OF APPEALS


  1000 Establishment of Board  ............................................................... 60

  1001 Membership, Terms of Office  ..................................................... 60

  1002 Procedures, Meetings, Records and Decisions  ............................ 60

  1003 Who May Appeal to the Board  ................................................... 60

  1004 Powers and Duties-Interpretation  ................................................ 61

  1005 Powers and Duties-Variances  ..................................................... 61-62

  1006 Powers and Duties-Changing of One Nonconforming Use  

to Another Nonconforming Use ............................................ 62-63

  1007 Powers and Duties-Special Exceptions  ....................................... 64-65

  1008 Rules for Filing Appeals and Applications  ................................. 65

  1009 Notice of Hearings  ..................................................................... 65-66

  1010 Review by the Planning Commission on Applications for Special  

Exceptions, Variances and Interpretations  ............................. 66

  1011 Decisions by the Board-General Considerations  ........................ 66-67

  1012 Enforcement  ............................................................................... 67

  1013 Time Limitations on Board Approvals  ........................................ 68

  1014 Time Limits on Re-Submitting Appeals  ...................................... 68

  1015 Appeal to Court  .......................................................................... 68

  1016 Abandonment of Special Exceptions  .......................................... 68

  1017 Failure to Keep or Maintain Conditions Precedent  ..................... 68-69


 ARTICLE 11. AMENDMENTS, REMEDIES AND PENALTIES, AND

SEPARABILITIES

  

  1100 Power of Amendment  ................................................................. 70

  1101 Who May Initiate  ....................................................................... 70-71

  1102 Fees  ........................................................................................... 71

  1103 Public Hearing and Notice  ......................................................... 71-72

  1104 General Criteria  ......................................................................... 72

  1105 Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance-Regulations  .................. 72-73

  1106 Amendments to the Zoning Map  ............................................... 73-74

  1107 Action by the Town Council  ...................................................... 75

  1108 Procedures to Maintain Commercial (C) District Zoning Once

                        Granted...............................................................................   75-76

  1109 Enforcement and Remedies  ....................................................... 76

  1110 Separability  ............................................................................... 76


 Supplemental Information

Zoning Map













 

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Town Council Members
Donald W. Sincell - Mayor - 7/2025
Bryan Fred Callis - VP of Council - 7/2026
Patrick Damon - 7/2026
Linda Fike - 7/2025
Jeffrey Hovis - 7/2025
Pam Nelson - 7/2026

Planning Commission
Patrick Damon - Chairman
Linda Goodrich
James Moore

Zoning Board of Appeals
Karen Wooddell - Chairman
Leon Cardiff, Jr.
Gene Flinn

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Lois Wilson - Clerk Treasurer
Jeff Meyers - Maintenance Supervisor
Willie Stemple
Dylan Stemple

Code Enforcement Office
Jarrett Mahoney

Attorney
Michael Llewellyn

 

News

Town Council Meeting -  The next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 6 PM, at the town hall.   


Temporary signs -  announcing a campaign, drive, or event of a civic, philanthropic, education, or religious organization.  Such signs shall not exceed twelve square feet in area and shall be removed not more than 5 days after the event.


7/1/21 - At the July 1st Town Meeting, the Council voted to rescind the town's adoption of Garrett County's ATV law. No ATV's may operated in town under any circumstance.


Town Parks are equipped with video surveillance. All parks and walking trails in town are trash-free. Visitors are to put litter they generate in trash bags and carry it home. This will improve the appearance of parks and trails by removing trash cans that detract from the beauty of the environment. 












     






Fun Facts

The town picks up about 300 tons of leaves each autumn.

In 1881, Mountain Lake Park was purchased as 800 acres for the sum of $4,672.

Today, the town has expanded to 1280 acres with an assessed value over $100,000,000.

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