Legislative Branch Offices - Board of Appeals

Montgomery County Board of Appeals
Stella B. Werner Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue, Room 217
Rockville, Maryland 20850

Hours : Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Telephone : (240) 777-6600

About the Board

The Board of Appeals is a five member quasi-judicial body. Its members are Montgomery County citizens appointed by the County Council for staggered four-year terms. Not more than three of the five members can be from the same political party.

Current Board members are : Carolyn Shawaker (Democrat), Catherine G. Titus, Vice Chair (Republican), Allison I. Fultz, Chair (Democrat), Walter S. Booth (Democrat), and David K. Perdue, (Independent).

Katherine Freeman is the Executive Director to the Board of Appeals.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Board of Appeals is to exercise the quasi-judicial powers authorized in the County Zoning Ordinance to decide and administer certain categories of land use cases involving individualized requests.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Board of Appeals

The Board of Appeals has authority to hear and decide cases involving certain land use issues, including special exceptions for uses permitted only by special exception in particular zones, and variances from the development standards of the Zoning Ordinance. The Board also hears and decides Administratvie Appeals from actions of the County Government (as specified by County Code). The Board applies the Zoning Ordinance standards applicable to all such cases. The Board has countywide jurisdiction except for the municipal corporations of Brookeville, Poolesville, Laytonsville, Rockville, Barnesville, Gaithersburg, and Washington Grove.

Helpful Links

•  Board of Appeals Participant Satisfaction  Survey
•  User Guide                                                             •  Opinions
•  Hearing Agenda                                                    •  What Is a Variance
•  Worksession Agenda                                           •  Variance Standards
•  Worksession Minutes                                           •  Applications & Forms
•  Calendar                                                                •  Fee Schedule
•  Rules of Procedure                                               •  Weather Policy
Office of People's Counsel

 Meeting Times and Submissions

The Board holds hearings every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.  Worksessions are held every other Wednesday. Items are accepted for the Agenda on a first come, first serve basis and Agendas are limited to a maximum number of items. The deadline for submissions is noon on the Tuesday prior to a hearing or Worksession. Late submissions will be considered on a case by case, space available basis and should consist of 10 copies of all materials requested for inclusion.