Westminster, MD, Thursday, May 21, 2026 - The Board of Carroll County Commissioners (BoC) is reviewing the regulations related to age-restricted housing developments, otherwise known as Retirement Homes and Retirement Villages. The goal is to update the development standards to better reflect changing consumer demand for this type of housing, especially in the Freedom area of the county.

To assist with this effort, the county hired a consultant with expertise and experience working in other jurisdictions on age-restricted housing issues. On May 7, 2026, the consultant presented initial recommendations to the BoC on updating age-restricted housing regulations. The BoC then directed county staff to work with the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) to draft potential amendments consistent with the recommendations presented by the consultant.

The proposed amendments will be discussed at several upcoming PZC meetings. Each of the following PZC meetings will be held at the County Office Building, 225 N. Center St, Westminster, room 003:

June 3rd     6:00 PM                                                          

June 16th   9:00 AM

July 8th       6:00 PM

July 21st     9:00 AM

In addition, on June 24, 2026, beginning at 5:00 PM, an informal public meeting will be held at the South Carroll Senior Center (5928 Mineral Hill Rd, Eldersburg, MD) to gather citizen feedback on preferences for age-restricted housing features and community design.  For the first hour, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, county staff and the consultant team will be available for general discussion, followed at 6:00 PM by a presentation and additional opportunities for public input.

After the PZC meetings and the informal public meeting, county staff will present recommendations to the BoC during an open session.  If the BoC is interested in some or all of the recommended amendments, a Public Hearing will be scheduled before making any final decision to adopt the amendments.  The dates of those meetings will be published when scheduled.