The provisions within the following articles and sections shall constitute and be known, cited and referred to as the "Wicomico County Zoning Regulations" which together are Chapter
225, Zoning, of the Code of Wicomico County, Maryland.
By the authority of Acts of the General Assembly
of the State of Maryland as set forth in Article 25A of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1957 Edition) and the amendments thereto and by
authority set forth in the Charter for Wicomico County, Maryland,
the Wicomico County Council is empowered to regulate and restrict
the use of land and buildings, regulate and restrict the height, number
of stories and size of buildings and other structures, the percentage
of a lot that may be occupied by buildings, the size of yards, and
open spaces, the density of population and the location and use of
buildings, structures and land for agricultural, residential, commercial,
industrial, and other uses and to adopt from time to time, by legislation,
the Zoning Map and such other regulations and maps as may be required
as part of this chapter.
The requirements of this chapter are hereby modified to the extent necessary in order that all land within critical areas, as established by the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission, the Wicomico County Critical Area Program and Chapter
125 of the Wicomico County Code, shall also comply with the provisions of the Wicomico County Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program and Chapter
125, where applicable.
It is hereby declared to be the intention of
the County Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses,
and phrases of this chapter are severable, and if any such section,
paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase is declared unconstitutional
or otherwise invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction in a valid
judgment or decree, such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not
affect any of the remaining sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses,
or phrases of this chapter since the same would have been enacted
without the incorporation into this chapter of such unconstitutional
or invalid section, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase.
Commencing on or before the sixth year anniversary
date of the adoption of this chapter, and every sixth year thereafter,
the County Council shall direct the Planning and Zoning Commission
to undertake a comprehensive review of the Zoning Chapter and the
Official Zoning Map.