BLYTHEWOOD – The Planning Commission Monday night gave their OK to a slate of zoning amendments designed to allow for recreational amenities in neighborhoods and provide consistency in residential districts.
The Commission voted unanimously to approve the amendments for D-1 (Development District), R-12 (Single-Family Residential District) and R-8 (One and Two-Family Residential District), making them compatible with similar districts. The issue came to light, according to Michael Criss, the Town’s Planning and Zoning consultant, when Essex Homes sought to include a swimming pool in phases 8 and 9 of Ashley Oaks, which they are in the process of developing. Although the existing phases of Ashley Oaks include such amenities, Criss said, zoning in the area in which phases 8 and 9 lie does not permit them.
“We started looking over all the residential districts and found these amenities were missing in several of the districts that were very comparable to others,” Criss told the Commission. “So why in some and not in others?”
With the amendments, D-1 will now be consistent with RU (Rural District), R-12 will be consistent with R-40 (Low Density Residential District) as well as R-20 (Low Density Single-Family Residential District) and R-8 will be consistent with R-40 and R-20.
The amendments still have to go before Town Council for final approval.
