Baltimore City Council Approves Zoning Reforms Easing Yard Rules, Ending Parking Requirements

The City Council gave final approval on January 25, 2026 to two zoning reforms backed by Mayor Brandon Scott that loosen yard and bulk limits in rowhouse areas and eliminate off-street parking requirements for new apartment projects. Supporters framed the changes as a tool to promote housing density and population growth; opponents warned of displacement and rushed process.

Bill 25-0064, often called the “bulk and yard” bill, relaxes yard and bulk restrictions to allow higher density in many rowhouse neighborhoods. Council members listed as voting yes on 25-0064 include Council President Zeke Cohen; Mark Parker; Ryan Dorsey; Paris Gray; John Bullock; Phylicia Porter; Zac Blanchard; Jermaine Jones; Odette Ramos; and Antonio Glover. Mark Conway; Yitzy Schleifer; and James Torrence are listed as voting no.

Bill 25-0065 removes the off-street parking requirement for new apartment projects and passed 8-5. The yes votes on 25-0065 were Zeke Cohen; Mark Parker; Ryan Dorsey; Paris Gray; John Bullock; Zac Blanchard; Jermaine Jones; and Odette Ramos. The no votes were Mark Conway; Yitzy Schleifer; James Torrence; Phylicia Porter; and Antonio Glover. Both bills were sent to Mayor Brandon Scott for his signature after the vote.

The measures are part of a broader zoning package unveiled earlier in the year that includes proposals to permit more dwelling units on single lots and to relax internal stair requirements in taller residential buildings. The Planning Commission signed off on the sweeping re-zoning proposal even as a City Council committee earlier moved to slow aspects of the effort and complaints were filed about the handling of the package.

Opposition in the chamber and in neighborhoods was vocal. Audience members waved “Democracy over Developers” and “Neighborhoods Matter” signs during the vote. Councilman James Torrence of the 7th district leveled strong criticism at his colleagues, saying “this council has now ignored the rights of black citizens in Baltimore, but also citizens who actually asked that we move slower.” Torrence added that the last comprehensive overhaul, Transform Baltimore in 2017, “took four years. This took four months.” He cited studies paid for by Live Baltimore and said, “Live Baltimore has done multiple studies that we paid for. It says that people who live here actually want a single-family home,” arguing the bills could “end up driving Black residents out of the city and hurt those families who remain.”

Supporters describe the reforms as enabling “gentle density” and reducing barriers to building housing in a city long shaped by the rowhouse pattern. The debate in Baltimore echoes urban policy discussions globally, where cities from Tokyo to Lisbon have weighed upzoning and parking changes as levers to increase housing supply while wrestling with equity and neighborhood character.

For Baltimore residents, the immediate effect is procedural: the ordinances await the mayor’s signature and will change rules for new development in affected neighborhoods. Neighborhood groups, developers, and the City Council will now turn to implementation details, enforcement timelines, and community engagement as the city moves from passage to practice.