When we shared with you a story about a rental-gone-wrong earlier this week, it prompted several residents to say they thought B&B style rentals were still illegal.

That all may soon change for the City of Hyattsville, the City of Mount Rainier, and the Town of Brentwood.

On the request of these three municipalities, the Prince George’s Planning Department is working to amend zoning in the Gateway Arts District to permit bed and breakfasts.

In 2009, the Prince George’s District Council amended the zoning ordinance to allow for bed and breakfasts in Prince George’s County.  It defined and set standards for bed and breakfasts, but had not updated the table of uses in the Gateway Arts District Overlay Zone.

A “bed and breakfast inn,” as defined by CB 39-2009, is a single family and maintained home in which rooms can be rented for up to 14 days.

CB 39-2009 established several standards for a bed and breakfast:

  • 1  parking space (provided on site) per guest room
  • Property will be owner-occupied and managed
  • No more than two nonresident employees
  • Interior features to be retained to allow for re-conversion
  • Maximum number of guest rooms = 8
  • Meals to be served only to overnight customers
  • One sign permitted
  • Compatible with surrounding neighborhood
  • Property to be well maintained

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According to planning department staff, they received several inquiries about the potential parking situation associated with these businesses.

The Gateway Arts District Overlay Zone is outlined in black.  Shaded homes are affected by this amendment.
The Gateway Arts District Overlay Zone is outlined in black. Shaded homes are affected by this amendment.

The City of Hyattsville had questions about this as well.  While residents can add parking spaces in the rear of their house, the planning department told the City that the residential zone specifies that only 30% of a lot may be paved.

Staff also recommended the amendment proposal include parameters for some street parking to count toward required spaces.  The amendment was updated to say that if a property fronts a street, 20 feet of adjacent street space equals one parking space.

The City of Hyattsville was concerned about the potential for residents to pave their front yards.  Staff recommended that no parking in the front yard of a bed and breakfast be permitted.

Staff also recommended that the drive aisle requirement of 22 feet be reduced to 15 feet.

The amendment is now on the planning board’s consent agenda for July 31.  The planning board voted to recommend approval to the District Council.