Whenever the public necessity, convenience, general welfare or good zoning practice requires, the Mayor and Council may, by ordinance, after recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission and subject to the procedure set forth in this article, amend, supplement or change the regulations, district boundaries or classifications of property now or hereafter established by this chapter or amendments thereof. Such amendment, supplement or change may be initiated by resolution of the Mayor and Council, by motion of the Planning and Zoning Commission or by petition of any property owner or contract purchaser addressed to the Mayor and Council.

The Mayor and Council hereby express their recognition of the fact that sections of the community are changing from a rural to a residential, commercial, industrial or other character, and, although an attempt has been made in the Land Use Plan to anticipate and direct such growth along desirable lines, it is inevitable that no such plan can be perfect or everlastingly valid. They anticipate, therefore, that the Land Use Plan will need amending from time to time as contemplated and authorized by § 4.05 of Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland, and that the Zoning Map must also be amended from time to time in order that it may continue to be in conformity with such Comprehensive Plan, as required by §§ 3.05 through 3.09 of said Article 66B.

Any proposed amendment, supplement or change originating with or received by the Mayor and Council shall first be referred to the Planning and Zoning Commission for investigation and recommendation. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall cause such investigation to be made as it deems necessary and for this purpose may require the submission of pertinent data and information by any person concerned, may hold such public hearings as are provided by its own rules and shall submit its report and recommendation within 60 days, unless an extension of time is granted.

After receiving the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission on any proposed amendment, supplement or change and before adopting such amendment, the Mayor and Council shall hold a public hearing in relation thereto, at which parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard. Notice of the time and place of such hearing and a summary of the proposed change shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the community once each week for two successive weeks, with the first such publication of notice appearing at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the purpose of the proposed ordinance is to change the classification or boundary of any specific individual property, the property so affected shall be posted with a notice of the hearing. The property owner will be notified of the proposed change by mail by the City Clerk. The change shall not become effective until 10 days after the public hearing.

No substantial change in or departure from the proposed amendment as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be made unless the same shall be resubmitted to said Commission for its further recommendation.

A nonrefundable filing fee shall be charged for processing an application for a change in zoning, as may be determined by the Mayor and Council.

Every application for a change in zoning district boundaries shall be accompanied by a plat, drawn to such scale as the Zoning Inspector shall require, showing the existing and proposed boundaries and such other information as he or she may need to enable him or her to properly locate and plot the amendment on the Official Zoning Map. It shall be the duty of the Zoning Inspector to change the Official Zoning Map promptly upon the adoption of any amendment so that there will always be an up-to-date public record of the zoning districts.[1]