Zoning › Maryland › Montgomery County › Olney

Olney, MD Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 27 districts · 5 overlays · 1 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Naming convention by category
res_sflot-size-encoded (R-200 = min 20,000 SF; R-90 = min 9,000 SF; R-60 = min 6,000 SF; RE series = large estate lots)
res_mfdensity-encoded (RT-8.0/10.0/12.5 = du/ac; R-30/R-20 = density-based multifamily)
comletter-code with FAR suffix (CRT-2.0, CRN-0.75, NR-0.75, PCC, PRC)

Montgomery County Chapter 59 (2014). Olney is governed entirely by county zoning; no municipal code exists. The 2005 Olney Master Plan guides zone application in the Olney Town Center area (CRT, CRN, NR) and recommends RNC zoning for peripheral conservation parcels (e.g. former Norbeck Country Club site). PD zones (PD-3, PD-7, PD-9) are Planned Development floating zones applied to specific projects.

Worth knowing
  • Olney is an UNINCORPORATED CDP — no municipal government, mayor, or city council. Montgomery County is the zoning authority under Chapter 59 (eff. 2014-10-30). The stub at code_source previously pointed to library.municode.com/md/olney which is incorrect (Olney has no municipal code).
  • The 2005 Olney Master Plan recommended the Mixed-Use Town Center concept for the Georgia Ave / Route 108 core, implemented through CRT and CRN zone designations. It also recommended RNC zoning for the former Norbeck Country Club site (~38 RNC parcels now mapped).
  • The Montgomery County Chapter 59 zoning ordinance (2014 comprehensive rewrite effective 2014-10-30) replaced the pre-2014 zoning code. PCC (Planned Convenience Center) and PRC (Planned Retail Center) are legacy floating zones carried forward from the old code and still appear on the Olney zoning map.

+ 3 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 8mu 5res_th 3spec 3com 3ag 2res_mf 2off 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
RE-2Residential Estate - 2 Zoneres_sf87,120 sf[4]50 ft[5]25[6]—0.5[7]—50[1] / 17[2] / 35[3]
RE-2CResidential Estate - 2C Zoneres_sf87,120 sf[11]50 ft[12]25[13]——[14]—50[8] / 17[9] / 35[10]
RE-1Residential Estate - 1 Zoneres_sf40,000 sf[18]50 ft[19]15[20]—1.09[21]—50[15] / 17[16] / 35[17]
R-200Residential - 200 Zoneres_sf20,000 sf[25]50 ft[26]25[27]—2.18[28]2[29]40[22] / 12[23] / 30[24]
R-90Residential - 90 Zoneres_sf9,000 sf[33]35 ft[34]30[35]—4.84[36]—30[30] / 8[31] / 25[32]
R-60Residential - 60 Zoneres_sf6,000 sf[40]35 ft[41]35[42]—7.26[43]—25[37] / 8[38] / 20[39]
RNCRural Neighborhood Cluster Zoneres_sf25,000 sf[47]35 ft[48]10[49]—0.2[50]—40[44] / 15[45] / 35[46]
RCRural Cluster Zoneres_sf——————— / — / —
ARAgricultural Reserve Zoneag40,000 sf[51]—10[52]——[53]—— / — / —
RT-8.0Residential Townhouse - 8.0 Zoneres_th————8[54]—— / — / —
RT-10.0Residential Townhouse - 10.0 Zoneres_th————10[55]—— / — / —
RT-12.5Residential Townhouse - 12.5 Zoneres_th————12.5[56]—— / — / —
R-30Residential Multi-Unit Low Density - 30 Zoneres_mf——————— / — / —
R-20Residential Multi-Unit Medium Density - 20 Zoneres_mf——————— / — / —
PD-3Planned Development - 3 Zonespec————3[57]—— / — / —
PD-7Planned Development - 7 Zonespec————7[58]—— / — / —
PD-9Planned Development - 9 Zonespec————9[59]—— / — / —
CRT-2.0Commercial/Residential Town - 2.0 FARmu——[60]—2[61]——— / — / —
CRT-0.75Commercial/Residential Town - 0.75 FARmu——[62]—0.75[63]——— / — / —
CRT-0.25Commercial/Residential Town - 0.25 FARmu——[64]—0.25[65]——— / — / —
CRN-0.75Commercial/Residential Neighborhood - 0.75 FARmu——[66]—0.75[67]——— / — / —
CRN-0.5Commercial/Residential Neighborhood - 0.5 FARmu——[68]—0.5[69]——— / — / —
NR-0.75Neighborhood Retail - 0.75 FARcom———0.75[70]——— / — / —
PCCPlanned Convenience Centercom——————— / — / —
PRCPlanned Retail Centercom——————— / — / —
EOF-1.5Employment Office Flex - 1.5 FARoff———1.5[71]——— / — / —
RURALRural Zoneag——————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

OTC
Olney Town Center / 2005 Olney Master Plan
SPEC
2005 Olney Master Plan (M-NCPPC); Chapter 59 §2.4 Master Plans

Olney Town Center area centered on intersection of Georgia Avenue (MD-97) and Route 108 in Olney CDP

descriptionThe 2005 Olney Master Plan guides zone designations in the town center; it recommended CRT zones (mixed-use to 1.0 FAR and 20 du/ac) for the core, RNC zoning for peripheral conservation parcels (former Norbeck Country Club), and open space preservation. The plan established the Olney Town Center Advisory Committee (OTCAC). Not a separate overlay in the Ch.59 code — rather, master plan guidance is implemented through underlying zone assignments.
max_far_in_core1.0 (CRT-2.0 zone with mapped C/R/H limits)
density_in_core_du_ac20 (as recommended by master plan)
FP-FEMA
FEMA Floodplain / Flood Hazard Area
FP
Montgomery County Code §Ch.19 Flood Hazard Areas; FEMA FIRM panels (MD panels for Montgomery County)

FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zone AE, Zone A) along Brooke Farm Creek, Laytonsville Branch, and unnamed tributaries within Olney CDP

base_flood_elevationper FEMA FIRM panels for Montgomery County MD
local_freeboardnot_found — Montgomery County freeboard above BFE not stated in available sources
fema_firm_statusadopted
HP-HIST
Historic Preservation / Master Plan Historic Resources
HP
Montgomery County Code §Ch.24A Historic Preservation; 2005 Olney Master Plan Historic Resources inventory

Individually designated historic sites and districts within Olney CDP as listed on the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation and/or National Register

designation_authorityHistoric Preservation Commission (HPC) of Montgomery County
review_requiredDemolition and alteration permits for designated resources require HPC approval
sandy_spring_olney_historic_districtSandy Spring/Olney Rural Historic District listed on National Register; boundaries partially overlap Olney CDP
ENV-STREAM
Stream Buffer / Water Quality Plan Areas
ENV
Montgomery County Chapter 22B Water Quality; Seneca Creek and Paint Branch watershed management plans

Regulated stream buffers along Brooke Farm Creek and other tributaries in Olney CDP; stream classification per MD DNR

buffer_width25-100 ft depending on stream classification per §Ch.22B
vegetated_buffer_requiredTrue
TOD-HEAA
HEAA TOD Overlay (Potential)
TOD
Md. Code Ann., Land Use §§7-501 to 7-508 (Housing Expansion & Affordability Act, 2024)

Applies to qualifying parcels within 0.75 mi of MARC/Metro/light rail station OR within 0.5 mi of qualifying high-frequency bus service. Olney has no rail station; high-frequency bus trigger must be evaluated per parcel.

rail_station_presentFalse
high_frequency_bus_assessmentOlney is served by RideOn Route 60 and Ride On connections at Georgia Ave/Route 108; frequency threshold (qualifying high-frequency bus) must be verified against HEAA implementing regulations — not confirmed in this research pass
density_floor_if_triggered_du_ac15
max_parking_per_unit_if_triggered1

State preemptions

MD HB 1466 (2025) — Small Houses Act (ADU mandate)applies
Qualifying condition
HB 1466 applies statewide to all Maryland jurisdictions. Montgomery County is implementing ADU-by-right ordinance to meet October 1, 2026 local deadline. Olney, as part of Montgomery County, is subject to this requirement.
Effect
Statewide ADU mandate; local-implementation deadline October 1, 2026. Montgomery County must allow ADUs by right in residential zones.
Non-applicable laws (3)
MD HEAA — Housing Expansion & Affordability Act (HB 538 / SB 484, 2024) Md. Code Ann., Land Use §§7-501 to 7-508does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Olney is an unincorporated CDP with no MARC, Metro, or light rail station within 0.75 mi (nearest MARC is Gaithersburg ~7 mi). High-frequency bus trigger: RideOn bus serves Olney but qualifying frequency not verified per HEAA implementing regs. HEAA does not override Critical Area Program; Olney is not in the Critical Area. Applies=false based on no-rail determination; high-frequency bus trigger remains under_review for future verification.
Effect
HEAA TOD density floors and parking minimums apply within 0.75 mi of MARC/Metro/light rail or 0.5 mi of qualifying high-frequency bus, plus state-surplus land and nonprofit/faith-based redevelopment. Olney has no rail station. High-frequency bus trigger not confirmed — treated as does_not_apply pending verification.
MD HB 599 / SB 477 — Missing Middle (2025 session)does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Per preemptions.json correction note (2026-05-20): HB 599 (2024) is the Housing & Community Development Financing Act, not a zoning preemption. SB 477 (2025) is the 'Time to Serve Act.' HB 778 (2026 session statewide missing-middle) failed crossover. No missing-middle preemption applies to Olney.
Effect
Not enacted — source bill numbers do not correspond to a statewide missing-middle preemption; statewide missing-middle preemption (HB 778) did not pass crossover in 2026 session.
MD HB 894 / SB 389 — Transit and Housing Opportunity Act (2026 session)does_not_apply
Qualifying condition
Status per preemptions.json: pending (chapter not codified on mgaleg StatuteText / Justia as of review date). Olney has no WMATA, Purple Line, or MARC Penn station. Does not apply to Olney regardless of enactment status.
Effect
Status pending — enrolled-chapter codification not yet published as of 2026-06-02. Even if enacted, Olney has no qualifying frequent-rail station (WMATA, Purple Line, MARC Penn).

Adopted building codes

Statewide w/ local amendments

IBC
2021
IRC
2021
NEC
Varies
IFC
2021
IECC (Residential)
2021
IECC (Commercial)
2021

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2014-10-30effectiveChapter 59 header: 'October 30, 2014' effective date stamped on each section (e.g. §4.3.5, §4.4.8)
2014-03-04adoptionMontgomery County Council adoption, spring 2014; Chapter 59 comprehensive rewrite

Quirks & notes

  • Olney is an UNINCORPORATED CDP — no municipal government, mayor, or city council. Montgomery County is the zoning authority under Chapter 59 (eff. 2014-10-30). The stub at code_source previously pointed to library.municode.com/md/olney which is incorrect (Olney has no municipal code).
  • The 2005 Olney Master Plan recommended the Mixed-Use Town Center concept for the Georgia Ave / Route 108 core, implemented through CRT and CRN zone designations. It also recommended RNC zoning for the former Norbeck Country Club site (~38 RNC parcels now mapped).
  • The Montgomery County Chapter 59 zoning ordinance (2014 comprehensive rewrite effective 2014-10-30) replaced the pre-2014 zoning code. PCC (Planned Convenience Center) and PRC (Planned Retail Center) are legacy floating zones carried forward from the old code and still appear on the Olney zoning map.
  • CRT and CRN zones use a composite notation on the zoning map showing four values: total FAR, C-FAR (nonresidential), R-FAR (residential), H (height in feet). The zone suffix in the database (e.g. CRT-2.0) captures only the total FAR; the full C/R/H designation is map-specific.
  • The Sandy Spring/Olney Rural Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; portions of this district overlap the Olney CDP boundary. Montgomery County Chapter 24A governs local HP review; HPC approval required for demolition and major alteration of designated resources.
  • GIS source verified: https://mcatlas.org/arcgis5/rest/services/backgrounds/Zoning_background/MapServer/27 — HTTP 200, 8,567 total features, Olney bbox (39.094–39.194, -77.121–-77.021) returned 593 features with 26 distinct zone codes; sample centroid within 1.5° of Olney centroid (-77.071, 39.144).

Massing explorer

Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.

—
—
Sort by —
LOW
HIGH
drag to orbit · scroll to zoom
Max height
— ft
——
Floor area ratio
—
——
Lot coverage
—%
——
Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
——
Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
◄
prev
►
next
Copy zoning profile
Loading…
District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/montgomerycounty/latest/montgomeryco_md_zone2014/0-0-0-1
retrieved 2026-06-02
Citations
  1. [1] §4.4.4 RE-2 Front setback 50'
  2. [2] §4.4.4 RE-2 Side setback (min) 17'; sum 35'
  3. [3] §4.4.4 RE-2 Rear setback 35'
  4. [4] §4.4.4 RE-2 Lot Area min 2 acres (87,120 SF); Montgomery Planning RE-2 Fact Sheet 9-16-14
  5. [5] §4.4.4 RE-2 Principal Building max height 50'
  6. [6] §4.4.4 RE-2 Coverage max 25%
  7. [7] i§4.4.4 RE-2 2-acre minimum = max ~0.5 du/ac (implied; no explicit du/ac stated in standards)
  8. [8] §4.4.5 RE-2C Front setback 50'
  9. [9] §4.4.5 RE-2C Side setback 17'; sum 35'
  10. [10] §4.4.5 RE-2C Rear setback 35'
  11. [11] §4.4.5 RE-2C Lot Area min 2 acres; Montgomery Planning RE2CZoningFactSheet 9-16-14
  12. [12] §4.4.5 RE-2C Principal Building max height 50'
  13. [13] §4.4.5 RE-2C Coverage max 25%
  14. [14] i§4.4.5 RE-2C Standard method: density 1 lot/5 acres max; cluster form on 5-acre minimum site
  15. [15] §4.4.3 RE-1 Front setback 50'
  16. [16] §4.4.3 RE-1 Side setback 17'; sum 35'
  17. [17] §4.4.3 RE-1 Rear setback 35'
  18. [18] §4.4.3 RE-1 Lot Area min 40,000 SF; Montgomery Planning RE1ZoningFactSheet 9-16-14
  19. [19] §4.4.3 RE-1 Principal Building max height 50'
  20. [20] §4.4.3 RE-1 Coverage max 15% (all roofed structures)
  21. [21] i§4.4.3 RE-1 40,000 SF lot yields ~1.09 du/ac max (implied from lot area)
  22. [22] §4.4.7 R-200 Minimum setback from street 40'
  23. [23] §4.4.7 R-200 Minimum side yard 12'; sum of 2 side yards 25'
  24. [24] §4.4.7 R-200 Minimum rear yard 30'
  25. [25] §4.4.7 R-200 Lot area min 20,000 SF (0.45 acres); Montgomery Planning R200.pdf fact sheet
  26. [26] §4.4.7 R-200 Maximum building height 50 ft
  27. [27] §4.4.7 R-200 Maximum building coverage 25%
  28. [28] §4.4.7 R-200 yields max 2.18 units/acre (stated on fact sheet)
  29. [29] §4.4.7 R-200 Parking: 2 off-street spaces/dwelling unit
  30. [30] §4.4.8 R-90 Front setback 30'
  31. [31] §4.4.8 R-90 Side setback (min) 8'; sum 25'
  32. [32] §4.4.8 R-90 Rear setback 25'
  33. [33] §4.4.8 R-90 Lot area min 9,000 SF; Wayback amlegal 0-0-0-60200
  34. [34] §4.4.8 R-90 Principal building max height 35' (flat roof) / 30' (to mean of gable); 40' if PB site plan
  35. [35] §4.4.8 R-90 Coverage max 30%
  36. [36] §4.4.8 R-90 Density max 4.84 units/acre
  37. [37] §4.4.9 R-60 Front setback 25'
  38. [38] §4.4.9 R-60 Side setback (min) 8'; sum 18'
  39. [39] §4.4.9 R-60 Rear setback 20'
  40. [40] §4.4.9 R-60 Lot area min 6,000 SF; Wayback amlegal 0-0-0-60201
  41. [41] §4.4.9 R-60 Principal building max 35' flat roof / 30' mean gable; 40' if PB site plan
  42. [42] §4.4.9 R-60 Coverage max 35%
  43. [43] §4.4.9 R-60 Density max 7.26 units/acre
  44. [44] §4.3.5 RNC Front setback (public street) 40'
  45. [45] §4.3.5 RNC Side setback 15'
  46. [46] §4.3.5 RNC Rear setback 35'
  47. [47] §4.3.5 RNC Lot area min 25,000 SF (detached house); DevelopmentStandardsForRncZone.pdf
  48. [48] §4.3.5 RNC Principal building max height 35'
  49. [49] §4.3.5 RNC Lot coverage max 10% (detached house)
  50. [50] §4.3.5 RNC Density max 1 lot per 5 acres (0.2 du/ac); 60% open space requirement
  51. [51] §4.2.3 AR Lot area min 40,000 SF (child lot max 3 acres); DevelopmentStandardsForArZone.pdf
  52. [52] §4.2.3 AR Coverage max 10%; up to 40% for greenhouse-dominant use with site plan
  53. [53] §4.2.3 AR Density 1 lot per 25 acres; only child lots (≤3 ac) and voluntary conservation lots permitted
  54. [54] §8.2.4 RT-8.0 The number suffix encodes max du/ac; 8.0 du/ac maximum for this designation
  55. [55] §8.2.4 RT-10.0 Number suffix = max du/ac; 10.0 du/ac maximum
  56. [56] §8.2.4 RT-12.5 Number suffix = max du/ac; 12.5 du/ac maximum
  57. [57] i§59-D-4 PD zone density approximated from PD number designation
  58. [58] i§59-D-4 PD zone density approximated from PD number
  59. [59] i§59-D-4 PD zone density approximated from PD number
  60. [60] i§4.5 CRT zone height range 35-150ft; specific height mapped per zone designation (CRT-2.0 map designation sets specific H value)
  61. [61] §4.5.2 CRT-2.0 Maximum total FAR 2.0 (the number suffix = total FAR cap)
  62. [62] i§4.5 CRT height range 35-150ft; specific H value set on zoning map designation
  63. [63] §4.5.2 CRT-0.75 Maximum total FAR 0.75
  64. [64] i§4.5 CRT height range 35-150ft; H value on zoning map
  65. [65] §4.5.2 CRT-0.25 Maximum total FAR 0.25; note: ZTA 14-09 made 0.25 FAR a valid CRT floor
  66. [66] i§4.5 CRN height range 25-65ft; specific H mapped on zoning designation
  67. [67] §4.5.2 CRN-0.75 Maximum total FAR 0.75; CRN range 0.25-1.5 FAR
  68. [68] i§4.5 CRN height range 25-65ft
  69. [69] §4.5.2 CRN-0.5 Maximum total FAR 0.5; CRN range 0.25-1.5 FAR
  70. [70] i§4.6 NR-0.75 Maximum total FAR 0.75 (number suffix = FAR cap for NR family)
  71. [71] i§4.7 EOF-1.5 Number suffix = total FAR cap; Employment zone family

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedcode_source = https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/montgomerycounty/latest/montgomeryco_md_zone2014/0-0-0-1 — starts with https://, not an aggregator domain
no aggregator citedpassedscan clean — no zoneomics, steadily, siteplanguide, sitedesignguide, siteplancreator, propwire, zonara, or unzoned domains cited
confidence tags full formpassed22 confirmed fields carry §-citations (e.g. c§4.4.7, c§4.4.8, c§4.4.9, c§4.3.5, c§4.5.2); all c-tagged values cite §-reference per Gate 3
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed5 overlays, all have non-empty params, trigger, status, and confidence fields
preempt section city specificpassedMD is not an active-preemption state; Gate 5 does not require non-empty state_preemptions_applicable array. 4 laws evaluated with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked for Olney CDP context

Data quality

68%completeness22 confirmed18 partial8 inferred3 not found
Documented gaps
  • RC zone dimensional standards not retrieved
  • RT zone (RT-8.0, RT-10.0, RT-12.5) full dimensional standards not retrieved — Article 8 floating zones
  • R-30 and R-20 dimensional standards not retrieved (Wayback returned 404 for sections 60215/60217)
  • PCC and PRC legacy zone dimensional standards not retrieved
  • NR zone height and setback standards not retrieved
  • EOF zone height standards not retrieved
  • Rural zone dimensional standards not retrieved
  • CRT and CRN specific H values on zoning map not extracted (require per-parcel map lookup)
  • HEAA high-frequency bus trigger for Olney RideOn service not verified against implementing regulations

Other cities in this state

Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.

AbingdonBowieColumbiaGaithersburgLargoNorth BethesdaPotomacSalisbury