Title
AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS - UNIVERSAL DESIGN for the purpose of repealing Section 27-61603(b) Universal Design, The Zoning Ordinance of Prince George's County, Maryland, as universal design implementation is required, absent an exemption or waiver, pursuant to Subtitle 4. Building, Division 6. Universal Design for Housing, Prince George’s County Code; providing for a certain effective date; and generally regarding zoning and universal design for housing.
Background
Prior universal design legislation required the use of specified universal design standards, with the exception of exemptions and waivers granted, to apply to all new single-family attached, single-family detached, two-family, two-over-two's, three-family, and multifamily residential dwelling units constructed in Prince George's County on and after January 1, 2026.
This zoning bill is needed to comport with the legislative requirement under prior universal design legislation that a developer may not be granted more than 50% of waivers from the universal design requirements and sets forth the specific universal design requirements. Table 27-61603(b), which awards points for electively implementing Green Building features, no longer furthers the goals of improving Green features if applicants are given credit for features they are otherwise required to implement under law. This bill removes the Universal Design Green Standard’s Table from the Zoning Ordinance.