Housing and Community Development Office: 7500 Maple Ave. Takoma Park, MD 20912 301.891.7119 301.270.4568 FAX Hours: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday

If you are considering making any changes to your business, home, yard, or driveway, or you are planning to build a new house, you may need permits from Montgomery County and/or the City of Takoma Park. This website provides preliminary information about requirements you may have to meet to begin construction. This information serves as a guideline only; requirements for particular projects may vary. If you have questions about the information below, please contact the appropriate Montgomery County or City of Takoma Park office.

• Residential Construction or Renovation
• Commercial Construction or Renovation
• Quick Link to Permits required by the City
• Standards and Guidelines

All exterior and some interior County permits for work in Takoma Park now require a letter from the City's Housing and Community Development Department stating that the applicant has spoken with staff and is aware that the City has development regulations which must be followed and that if they are not followed they may be subject to fines.  Anyone planning exterior work on their house or business property will need to call 301-891-7119 and ask for Ilona Blanchard or Carmen Lam

Residential Construction or Renovation

If you are considering making any changes to your home, yard, or driveway, or you are planning to build a new house, you may need permits from Montgomery County and/or the City of Takoma Park. This website provides preliminary information about requirements you may have to meet to begin construction. This information serves as a guideline only; requirements for particular projects may vary. If you have questions about the information below, please contact the appropriate Montgomery County or City of Takoma Park office.

These activities usually need permits:

• Cut down a tree
• Build a fence
• Build a deck or patio
• Build an addition
• Interior/exterior remodeling

Permits

The City issues permits for the following types of activities:

• Tree protection/removal
• Stormwater management
• Driveway apron changes or curb cuts
• Dumpster in a right of way
• Fence in a right of way
• Altering or rebuilding right-of-way

Note: A right-of-way is the land on which public infrastructure is built. This includes the roadway itself plus adjacent land to accommodate other services. The City uses land in the right of way for placement of sidewalks, utility poles, street signs, fire hydrants, stormwater lines and other public services.

In addition, if your project will affect access to the City's sidewalks, please contact the City's Public Works department at 301.891.7633 to discuss how to mitigate the impacts.

Repair to any damage in the right-on-way is the responsibility of the property owner conducting the work

Please click here or call the Department of Public Works at 301.891.7633 for more details about the City's permitting requirements.

Most permits for construction, renovation, or demolition are issued by the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services . On their website under "Building Construction" you will find information that will help you determine which permits you will need. Or, you can call the DPS Office at 240.777.6300.

In some cases, you may need a variance from the requirements of the zoning ordinance. The Board of Appeals provides applications for obtaining a variance, a special exception, an administrative appeal, or permission to have an accessory apartment. The phone number to call is 301.495.4610.

Click here for more information about the other types of permits that the County issues.

Historic District

If your residence is located within the Takoma Park Historic District , you will also need to obtain an Historic Area Work Permit from the Historic Preservation Commission of the Montgomery County Office of Park and Planning. Obtain this permit before you submit an application for a building permit. The completed and approved Historic Area Work Permit must be submitted with your building permit application. The County's Department of Permitting Services can answer questions about historic area work permits. The phone number is 301.563.3400 .

Commercial Construction or Renovation

If you are considering making any changes to your commercial property, most of the permits you will need come from Montgomery County. The City also requires permits for certain activities. This website provides preliminary information about requirements you may have to meet to begin construction. This information serves as a guideline only; requirements for particular projects may vary. If you have questions about the information below, please contact the appropriate Montgomery County or City of Takoma Park office.

Development Greater than 1000 Square Feet

If you are planning a commercial development with a building footprint of 1000 square feet or more, you will need to go through the site plan review process. Check the zoning ordinance and read Section 59-C-18.214 through 216 for details. It is advisable that you call the City Community Development Coordinator at 301-891-7205 for coordination with the City Engineer, City Arborist, Community Planning, and other resources.

The County will review your plans through the site plan review process and will confer with the City for the review. This action is supported by the 2000 Master Plan for Takoma Park, which includes a Commercial Revitalization Overlay Zone. To learn more about the special requirements and potential for development flexibility for this zone, refer to the commercial revitalization section of the Master Plan and Section 59-C-18.21 of the zoning ordinance . Or, check the zoning ordinance and click on Section 59-D-3 for general information about site plan review. Click on Section 59-C-18.21 for specific provisions related to Takoma Park.

The City and the County have signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines their responsibilities in this process. The flow chart from this memorandum shows the timeline for most development projects.

Before you can submit a site plan application, you will need to meet the requirements of the City's stormwater management ordinance. This includes submitting a stormwater management concept plan, which must be signed by the City. You should then present it to the County with the site plan application.

Guidelines for preparing a site plan application are available from Montgomery County's Department of Park and Planning. The number to call is 301.495.4610.

Many commercial properties also require a subdivision or preliminary site plan prior to the site plan process from Montgomery County's Department of Park and Planning. A concurrent process with a pre-application meeting may also be used to reduce time. For more information call 301-495-4610.

Development of 1000 Square Feet or Less

If you are planning a commercial development of 1000 square feet or less, you may not need to go through the site plan review process. To be sure, please check the zoning ordinance and read Section 59-C-18.214 through 216. If you do need a site plan review, you will have the same requirements as for developments which are greater than 1000 square feet (see above). If you do not need a site plan review, the County will review your plans through the building permit review process. The County may confer with the City during this review process. This action is supported by the 2000 Master Plan for Takoma Park, which includes a Commercial Revitalization Overlay Zone. To learn more about the special requirements and potential for development flexibility for this zone, refer to the commercial revitalization section of the Master Plan and Section 59-C-18.21 of the zoning ordinance. The City and the County have signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines their responsibilities in this process. The flow chart from this memorandum shows the timeline for most building permits.

Guidelines for preparing a building permit application are available from Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services. Or call 240.777.6300.

For all Types of Commercial Development

As part of the development process, you may also need to submit permits to the City for the following additional activities:

• Tree protection/removal
• Stormwater management
• Driveway apron changes or curb cuts
• Dumpster in a right of way
• Fence in a right of way
• Reconstruction of right of way

In addition, if your project will affect access to the City's sidewalks, please contact the City's Department of Public Works at 301.891.7633 to discuss how to mitigate the impacts. Please click here for more details about the City's permitting requirements.

In some cases, you may need a variance from the requirements of the zoning ordinance. The Board of Appeals provides applications for obtaining a variance, a special exception, an administrative appeal, or permission to have an accessory apartment. The Board of Appeals' phone number is 240.777.6600.

Click here for more information about the other types of permits that the County issues.

Historic District

If your property is located within the Takoma Park Historic District , you will also need to fulfill two additional requirements.

• Your plan must be presented to the City's Facade Advisory Board if your property is located in the Historic District prior to a hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission. The Facade Advisory Board will help ensure that facade designs and their maintenance are harmonious and consistent with the intended quality and character of the commercial areas of Takoma Park. The Board can make suggestions that may help your design get approved for an Historic Area Work Permit. Click here for the Facade Ordinance .
• You will need to obtain an Historic Area Work Permit (HAWP) from the Historic Preservation Commission of the Montgomery County Office of Park and Planning. You should obtain this permit before you submit an application for a site plan review (or a building permit if a site plan review is not required). The completed and approved Historic Area Work Permit must be submitted with your site plan review (or building permit if a site plan review is not required).

Permits from the City of Takoma Park

If you are planning a project, you may need the following types of permits. Some permits, particularly those related to stormwater, must be approved before you can go through site plan or subdivision (preliminary plan) review or get a building permit. Please read the requirements carefully and call the City's Department of Public Works at 301.891.7633 if you have further questions. Projects that require soil disturbance, digging, in or back fill, storage of materials including earth, vehicles or dumpsters in the front, side, or rear yard often require at minimum a tree protection plan. Failure to obtain an approved plan may result in a fine and/or stop work order.

• Dumpster : If you plan to locate a construction dumpster on a City right of way (usually an adjacent road), you will need to obtain a Dumpster Permit . A permit is not required if the dumpster is placed in the driveway.
• Driveway apron : If you plan to construct or alter your driveway apron, you need a Driveway Apron Permit .
• Fences : If you plan to construct a fence in a City right of way, you need apply for a Fence Permit . If your application is successful, you will also need to sign a Fence Agreement that will be recorded in the Land Records of Montgomery County.
• Tree protection and removal : Click here for a summary of the requirements .
• Stormwater : Click here for a summary of the requirements.
• Reconstruction of right-of-way. Contact 301-891-7633 for more information.

Once the construction is complete, depending on the type of project, you may also need:

• Residential rental license: For operation of residential rental units. For more information about this license, contact the Code Enforcement division of the Housing and Community Development office at 301.891.7119.

Permits from Montgomery County

The Department of Permitting Services provides information about how to submit various types of permits. Some of the permit types include:

• Building construction and remodeling
• Fences, decks and some types of patios
• Sprinklers and fire alarms
• Inspections
• Licenses
• Parking Waivers
• Well and septic
• Zoning (for some cases; also check the Board of Appeals website)

Once the construction is complete, depending on the type of project, you may also need a certificate of occupancy from the County. Call the Department of Permitting Services at 240.777.6300 for more information.

The Department of Park and Planning (or call 301.495.4610) provides information about how to submit permits related to site development. These include:

• Pre-application submission
• Natural resources inventory / forest stand delineation (NRI/FSD) review application
• Forest conservation plan review
• Preliminary plan of subdivision review
• Project plan review
• Site plan review
• Record plat
• Extension request application
• Amendment to approved preliminary plan application
• Request for waiver of requirements of the subdivision

The Board of Appeals (or call 240.777.6600) makes decisions about certain land use issues including special exceptions for uses permitted only by special exception in a particular zone and variances from the development standards of the zoning ordinance. Permits they may grant include:

• Variance
• Special exception
• Administrative appeal
• Accessory apartment

Development Standards and Guidelines

Development within the City of Takoma Park Maryland, be it privately or publicly initiated, is governed by a number of guidelines and standards adopted or enacted by the Takoma Park City Council, the Montgomery County Council, the Montgomery County Planning Board, and the State of Maryland. The application of such guidelines, and the process by which development proposals are reviewed, varies depending upon the scope of the project, its location, and the initiating party.

The principal standards used to evaluate proposed developments include:

• The Takoma Park Master Plan
• The Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance. The Resident's Guide provides the basics, or the complete zoning ordinance is available to provide further detail.
• The State of Maryland's Principles of Smart Growth

Additional standards or guidelines may be applied where applicable:

• City of Takoma Park Stormwater Ordinance
• Guidelines for Construction and Renovation in Takoma Park: Creating a Sustainable Environment
• The Takoma Park Master Plan for Historic Preservation is available in hard copy from the Silver Spring Montgomery County Planning office at 8787 Georgia Avenue.
• City of Takoma Park Facade Ordinance
• City of Takoma Park Tree and Vegetation Ordinance

Many of these principles are summarized in the Development Guidelines document that was prepared for the City Council.

Development projects in Takoma Park may be reviewed by the City staff who make up the Development Review Committee and sometimes by the City Council. The Committee includes the City's planners, engineer, and arborist.