At its Monday, June 5, 2023 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will discuss a FY2024 Budget Debrief and an ordinance to allow accessory apartments (aka Attached Accessory Dwelling Units) in residential zones. On the Consent Calendar (items approved without discussion) are construction contracts and grant authorization. The Mayor and Council will also receive reports on Environmental Excellence Awards, Human Services Advisory Commission, and Monthly Rent Schedule for Moderately Priced Dwelling Units.

Twenty years ago, the Rockville City Council established Environmental Excellence Awards to recognize residents, organizations, and businesses for their extraordinary efforts to improve the community’s environmental and sustainability efforts. Congratulations to Rishi Iyer (a student at Wootton High School who developed an online carbon footprint tool at co2schools.com) and to Mark Wright (for leading efforts to install two pollinator gardens at Christ Church and Christ Episcopal School).

Moderately Priced Dwelling Units are the City’s methods for keeping housing affordable to families with household incomes of less than $64,000-$99,000 (depending on household size). The City regulates the maximum rent allowed and adjusts it annually according to schedules prepared by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). For FY2024, the maximum rent is $1,330-$1,900 (depending on the number of bedrooms) for an increase of 12-13 percent compared to the current year.

Attached Accessory Dwelling Units (aka Accessory Apartments) are a second dwelling that is either attached or within the main single family detached house (not to be confused with accessory dwelling units (ADU), which are unattached or separate from the main house–I think). They are currently allowed as a Special Exception by the Board of Appeals and the City is now considering an ordinance that would allow attached accessory dwelling units as a conditional use to streamline the process and provide more housing opportunities. These types of accessory dwelling units are often used by a retired person who wants to downsize, a professional who’s moved to the area, or a college student (that’s how I lived during grad school). The City held public hearings in 2019 and 2021, the City Council discussed it in 2020, and the Planning Commission reviewed it in 2023. The Twinbrook Community Association, Lincoln Park Civic Association, East Rockville Civic Association, and West End Citizens Association support accessory apartments as a conditional use. Lots of interesting comments for and against accessory apartments, but you’ll want to read these carefully because they can refer to AirBnB, VRBO, and attached and unattached dwelling units interchangeably. For more details, including the draft ordinance, see page 232+.

Coming up: new brand for the City of Rockville, amending Chapter 8 “Elections” in the City Code, annexation of 1201 Seven Locks Road, community organization grant agreements, and repealing the requirement for COVID-19 vaccinations for city employees and contractors (page 273+).

More details in the 276-page agenda packet are available at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06052023-6928.