About Us

The Department of Planning and Zoning is a full-service municipal agency responsible for all development review, permitting, inspections, and licensing relating to all facets of the City Code. This includes construction, rental housing, zoning, Critical Area compliance, and construction trades. The Department is also responsible for long-range planning, historic preservation, economic development, and community development activities within the City. Additionally, the Department also provides technical and direct assistance to other departments in the furtherance of municipal objectives and coordinates these departments’ review of development activity, plans, and policies. 

Transparency in decision-making is ensured through the support of boards and commissions, including the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Commission, the Building Board of Appeals, the Historic Preservation Commission, Port Wardens, the Maritime Advisory Board, Heritage Commission, and the Housing and Community Development Committee.

On a broader level, the Department of Planning and Zoning coordinates with Anne Arundel County and various Maryland state agencies regarding the impact of land use decision-making. The Department also Department of Planning and Zoning Fiscal Year 2023 represents Annapolis on the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.