Title 4 – Development Reviews

to provide guidance to the applicant early in the design process;

to provide for interagency review; and

to ensure that the proposed development complies with this Code, the Subdivision Rules and Regulations, the Site Plan Review Manual, the Building, Fire and Related Codes, and other applicable guidelines and requirements.

protect public health, safety, and welfare;

minimize adverse effects upon pedestrian and vehicular traffic;

ensure the design is safe, environmentally sound, aesthetically responsive, and protects properties, streets, and rights-of-way in the immediate vicinity, and the general public;

ensure compliance with the Comprehensive Master Plan and this Code; and

provide a consistent and uniform method of review.

Planning Commission approval at a public session;

filing with the Department of Legislative Reference; and

posting on the City website.

any proposed development over 15,000 square feet of gross floor area;

developments with multiple structures on a single lot, excluding accessory structures; and

all multi-tenant commercial development, including mixed-use development;

no permits have been issued; and

either:

Floodplains: City Code <cite data-path="|7">Article 7</cite>, Division I {“Floodplain Management”};

Chesapeake Bay Critical Area: Title 7, Subtitle 4, of this Code;

Forest Conservation: City Code <cite data-path="|7">Article 7</cite>, Division IV {“Forest and Tree Conservation”}; and

Significant Trees and Specimen Trees: Sites not required to comply with Forest Conservation regulations must protect these trees as required by the Baltimore City Landscape Manual.

new construction of dwellings;

upper floor additions and roof decks on existing rowhouses;

additions on street-front facades, to include deck, porch, and balcony additions;

when exterior modifications are proposed for residential conversions in the R-7, R-8, R-9, and R-10 Districts;

the establishment of a non-residential use within the R-MU Overlay District;

all new construction and additions in the C-5 District;

all substantial modifications of the facade of a structure in the C-5 District;

planned unit development;

any sign that is conditional on Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals approval, but without regard to its copy or message;

any painted/mural sign, but without regard to its copy or message;

any sign over 100 square feet in area;

any electronic sign, freestanding sign, or roof sign, but without regard to its copy or message;

any freestanding sign in the C-5 or PC District, and any banner sign, projecting sign, or wall sign above the ground floor in the C-5 or PC District, but without regard to its copy or message;

any Signage Plan and any sign, but without regard to its copy or message, within an Area of Special Sign Control;

multiple principal structures on a residential lot per <cite data-path="32|§15-203">§ 15-203</cite>;

any new construction that involves:

new construction or substantive modifications that include a shared-use path.

Design review must be completed within 15 days of receipt of a complete application.

If, in the Director’s judgment, the application does not contain sufficient information to complete design review, the Director of Planning may request additional information from the applicant. In that event, the 15-day period will be suspended pending receipt of all requested information. A decision must be rendered within 15 days of receipt of the additional information.

This Code recognizes that the design standards cannot address every anticipated architectural design element of a development. Accordingly, an administrative exception to the design standards of the district may be requested during the design review process.

This administrative exception allows the Director of Planning to approve exceptions to the design standards within each of the districts.

The Director of Planning may approve an administrative exception in cases where the proposed architectural design of a structure meets the intent of the design review provisions but fails to meet 1 or more specific design standards.

The Director of Planning may not approve any administrative or other exception for any of the use, bulk, or yard standards of the zoning district.

the administrative exception is generally compatible with the intent of the design standards and the area of the development; and

the design integrity and details of the building are acceptable within the context of a specific site and need not be achieved through a strict response to the details of the design standards contained in this Code.

improves water quality and reduces stormwater run-off;

reduces soil erosion;

increases the City’s tree canopy;

promotes biodiversity; and

helps to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

diminish undesirable views;

reduce glare, noise, and heat; and

mitigate the impacts of intensive uses.