Rockville Mayor and Council Meeting Summary – May 11, 2026

The meeting convened at 11:45 AM (scheduled) but ran into the evening, covering a wide range of topics including a mini-mayor essay contest winner, community forum, public hearings on zoning text and map amendments, a presentation from the District 17 state delegation, and work sessions on the zoning ordinance rewrite and election code updates.

Consent Calendar

• Item 9A-C: Approved authorization for the city manager to execute the Mali Price Dwelling Unit Homeownership Program Agreements and declaration of restrictive covenants for Potomac Woods phase two (EYA Development LLC), ratification of a separation agreement, and approval of minutes. Motion by Councilmember Jackson, seconded by Councilmember Shaw, passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Irina Luhan (Executive Director, Universal Aid for Children of Ukraine; Rockville Rotary Club) spoke about the Rotary’s Memorial Day flag display and requested continued support for Ukrainian children.
• Kathleen Kleinman (Rockville resident) encouraged participation in the Rockville Pedestrian Advocacy Committee’s Spring Walk and Roll event on May 14.
• Mark Bushela (former council member) urged the council to focus on essential tasks for 2027 and defer others, and noted that ranked-choice voting had been discussed previously.
• JD Kumar (candidate for U.S. Congress, District 8) spoke about the JEDI initiative, wealth gap, and traffic reduction ideas.
• John Becker (Rockville resident) requested pothole repairs in Town Center, noted Monroe Street repaving omission, raised concerns about a DAR event at Glenview Mansion (referencing Marian Anderson history), and criticized the election code rewrite timeline.
• Public Hearing on Zoning Text Amendment (TXT 2026-00271):
  • Lily Burkle (co-founder, Willow Green Funerals) and Adrian Gardner advocated for zoning adjustments to allow water cremation (alkaline hydrolysis) and natural organic reduction (terramation) as green death care options, citing state law and public interest.
  • Park Nicholson (Rockville gardener) supported option 3 for deer mesh regulations, aligning with county standards without additional conditions.
  • James Nations (President, Newmark Commons HOA) opposed rezoning the Tower Dawson parcel to RMD-25, citing safety and environmental concerns, and requested RMD-10 with a 40-foot height limit and restricted vehicular access.
  • Anna Astrid Molina (Markwood resident, 30 years) urged rejection of RMD-25, supported RMD-10, and highlighted the site’s history as a poor farm burial ground.
  • Julia Binder (Newmark Commons HOA board) opposed RMD-25, criticized lack of notification, and supported RMD-10 with height cap of 40 feet and no access through Newmark Commons.
  • Kristen Rasmussen (Newmark Commons resident) expressed concern about flooding, tree canopy loss, and traffic impacts, opposing high-density zoning.
  • Margaret Chow (Newmark Commons resident, 40+ years) thanked council for unanimous decision to prohibit road access through Newmark, urged codification, and supported RMD-10.
  • Pat Rieber (Newmark Commons resident, 1985) noted that only the landowner testified in favor of RMD-25, and supported RMD-10 with a 40-foot height limit.
  • Marty Reese (Don Mills Court resident, 53 years) supported RMD-10 with height 35-40 feet, recommended notification improvements, and noted only buildable acreage should be considered for zoning.
  • Dick Stoner (Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors, GCAR) presented a study projecting 21 net housing units over 10 years from the zoning rewrite, urging maximal impact on housing affordability.
  • Mark Pascella (speaking for himself, also College Gardens Civic Association) argued for eliminating the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) and the supermajority requirement for changing APF standards.
  • Lakeesa Carter (Twinbrook resident, 15 years; realtor) shared personal housing affordability struggle and urged robust zoning changes to create opportunities for her grandson.
  • Kate Berman (Hungerford resident, 30 years) described Lyme disease contraction from deer in her front yard and advocated for deer mesh option 3 (allowing front yard mesh).

Discussion Items

• State Delegation Presentation (District 17):
  • Senator Cheryl Kagan, Delegate Ryan Spiegel, and Delegate Julie Polakovich-Carr (Delegate Joe Vogel absent) presented legislative accomplishments. Key points: state budget balanced with no tax increases, $1.5 billion gap closed; $10 billion for K-12 education, $14 billion for Medicaid; capital investments for Rockville including $9.7M for library and theater at Montgomery College, $7.7M for water/sewer, $325K for pedestrian bridge repairs, $950K for Ringhouse Senior Living, $1.5M for Young Artists of America, and others. Immigration protections passed (ban on 287G, anti-masking, expansion of Maryland Values Act, Community Trust Act). Energy legislation to save households $150+/year, child care scholarship funding increased, and measures to protect student loan borrowers. Also highlighted: stop sign camera authorization for Rockville, statewide 311 system, 988 mental health crisis line, and election bills including ranked-choice voting readiness.
  • Council thanked the delegation and discussed follow-up on rent algorithms, junk fees, 988, and elections.
• Work Session on Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (Articles 6-8):
  • Staff presented planning commission recommendations and council provided direction:
    • Gross Floor Area Restrictions: Council supported eliminating GFA restrictions in mixed-use and IL zones, retaining only those in residential zones (ADUs, cottage courts, home-based businesses, accessory structures).
    • Established Setbacks: Council supported retaining as optional, allowing homeowners to use a lesser setback (bringing homes toward the street) if the established setback is less than the zone’s standard.
    • Front Yard Coverage: Council supported eliminating the requirement, noting stormwater is handled by separate regulations (Chapter 19). Stormwater management will be assessed during permitting if needed.
    • Deer Mesh: Council supported option 3 (allowing deer mesh in front yards with no requirement to attach to a fence). Existing fines will be dropped, and residents who were denied permits will be contacted.
    • Tower Oaks Rezoning (Planning Area 12): Staff recommended RMD-15 (15 units/acre) with height increased to 55 feet (allowing two-over-two development), step-back above second story, and access from Don Mills Court restricted to emergency, bicycle, and pedestrian only. Council discussion indicated support for RMD-15, with some members favoring split zoning (RMD-10 near Newmark Commons, RMD-25 near I-270). No final vote taken; direction was toward RMD-15.
• Election Code Update (Work Session 2):
  • City Clerk Sarah Taylor Farrah and Acting City Attorney Nicholas Jumai recommended going back to the current code as a baseline, incorporating recommendations from the Board of Supervisors of Elections (BSC) and mayor/council, due to numerous missing definitions and conflicts in the draft. Council expressed frustration but agreed to move forward with the revised approach, focusing on fixing urgent issues for the next election. Council will provide specific feedback on BSC recommendations via email. The timeline aims for a public hearing by January 2027 and final code by May 2027.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
• Zoning Direction: Council directed staff to eliminate GFA restrictions in mixed-use and IL zones, retain optional established setbacks, remove front yard coverage requirement, adopt deer mesh option 3, and proceed with RMD-15 for Tower Oaks with restricted access and height adjustments.
• Election Code: Council endorsed staff’s proposal to reset the rewrite using the current code as a baseline, incorporate BSC recommendations, and address enforcement, definitions, and other key issues. Public financing, grant restrictions, and administrative hearings will be explored further.
• State Delegation: Capital investments for Rockville secured, including $9.7M for library/theater, $7.7M for water/sewer, $325K for pedestrian bridges, and others.
• Next Steps: Final work session on zoning rewrite (Articles 9-13) scheduled for May 18, 2026. Final staff draft of zoning ordinance to be released June 1, 2026, with adoption targeted for June 29, 2026. Election code drafting will proceed with a revised timeline.