Two controversial zoning bills, both sponsored by density proponent Ryan Dorsey, came before the Baltimore City Council last night.

One, up-zoning a stretch of the Harford Road corridor along with residential streets on either side, advanced with no discussion, while the other, allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) across the city, stalled out in an unusual way:

Bill 26-0195 failed on a 7-7 tie vote. Council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton, whose vote would have broken the tie, had an excused absence.

VOTING YES: Zac Blanchard, John Bullock, Ryan Dorsey, Jermaine Jones, Mark Parker, Odette Ramos and Council President Zeke Cohen.

VOTING NO:  Mark Conway, Antonio Glover, Paris Gray, Danielle McCray, Phylicia Porter, Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer, James Torrence. 

But the bill, intended to bring Baltimore into compliance with the state’s ADU mandate, isn’t dead. The body decided, by a vote of 9-5, to send back to committee to be re-worked. (The 4th District’s Conway, who had voted against the bill, made the motion to “recommit” it to Dorsey’s Land Use and Transportation Committee.)

Dorsey said the measure will be taken up at the committee’s next meeting on October 8 at 10 a.m.

The bill’s failure occurred despite the withdrawal last night of amendments that had become a lightning rod for the opposition.

Councilman Zac Blanchard had proposed amendments that would permit “internal ADUs,” meaning ADUs created by dividing up a primary residence.

“I do think it is, you know, very important. But I’ll reserve my remarks for a later time,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard had argued in committee that his amendments would create more affordable housing, helping people in need of extra space for an in-law or to generate extra income.

Critics called them a “backdoor way” to create multi-family housing, arguing that state law defines ADUs as separate dwelling units (either free-standing or attached to the primary residence), but not something to be carved out by reconfiguring an existing dwelling unit.

Even with the “internal ADU” provision stripped away, Dorsey’s bill couldn’t pull enough votes to advance.

Overlay gets the Green Light

It was smoother sailing for the bill creating the Harford Road Overlay District, which will open up a three-mile stretch of single-family properties along the northeast Baltimore thoroughfare to apartment conversions and tear-downs for new construction.

Dorsey began by explaining the amendments, including one introduced last week intended to blunt one of the biggest criticisms of the measure: that it would allow six-story apartment buildings in the overlay area.

• Despite residents turning out in force to oppose it, Dorsey’s committee advances Harford Road overlay bill (9/25/26)

His amendment struck a provision imposing R-10, the most permissive multi-family zoning designation, on the Overlay area, which extends along Harford Road between Argonne Drive and the city-county line.

Instead it creates a special zoning table for the area with, among other things, a maximum height of 45 feet for new apartment construction.

But the main effect of the bill, introduced as a way to revive the road’s struggling commercial corridor, remains – multi-family buildings and conversions would be permitted in an area that is currently largely zoned for single-family.

Bill 25-0093 advanced last night by a vote of 9-3 with two abstentions:

VOTING YES: Blanchard, Bullock, Cohen, Dorsey, Gray, Jones, Parker, Ramos, Schleifer.

VOTING NO: McCray, Porter, Torrence.

ABSTAINING: Conway, Glover.

The bill now moves to 3rd reader for final passage.