Last researched: September 30, 2026. Pocomoke City introduced a formal ADU zoning update in September 2026; its final adoption and effective date have not been verified in this guide. On September 8, 2026, the Mayor and City Council introduced Ordinance 2027-O-1, an ordinance specifically intended to amend the City zoning code to regulate accessory dwelling units. The City scheduled a public hearing for September 28, 2026 at 6:30 PM at City Hall; that scheduled date has now passed.
Source check: October 10, 2026. Final adoption and the effective date of Ordinance 2027-O-1 remain unverified in this guide. The City’s notice scheduled a public hearing for September 28. Its meeting archive now links September 28 minutes, but we could not retrieve that file during this check. A scheduled hearing is not proof of a completed hearing or vote. Obtain the minutes and final signed ordinance before relying on the proposal.
Pocomoke City ADU planning snapshot
| Question | What we verified |
|---|---|
| 2026 ADU legislation | Ordinance 2027-O-1 was introduced September 8, 2026. |
| Current status | The public hearing was scheduled for September 28; the outcome, final adoption and effective date have not been verified in this guide. |
| Scheduled public hearing | September 28, 2026 at 6:30 PM, City Hall, 101 Clarke Avenue; the scheduled date has passed. |
| What the proposal changes | Definitions, accessory-structure rules, dwelling-conversion rules, R-1/R-2 accessory uses and R-3 zoning provisions. |
| Districts involved | The City says the ordinance will identify the districts where ADUs are allowed; the introduced measure specifically amends R-1, R-2 and R-3 sections. |
| Current one-dwelling rule | Existing § 230-17 says not more than one dwelling structure may be located on a lot unless another code provision creates an exception. |
| Current accessory-structure setbacks | Existing § 230-18 generally requires rear-yard placement, 5 ft from adjoining residential lot lines and 6 ft from alley lines/other buildings. |
| Current conversion rule | Existing § 230-26 allows conversion for additional dwelling occupancy only where that occupancy is permitted and the resulting use meets new-construction requirements. |
| State deadline context | Maryland requires covered municipalities to adopt a local ADU law by October 1, 2026. |
Ordinance 2027-O-1 was introduced September 8
Pocomoke City’s official meeting agenda lists the first reading of Ordinance 2027-O-1 on September 8, 2026. The City’s public-hearing notice says the purpose is to amend Chapter 230, Zoning, to create regulations governing accessory dwelling units.
The notice identifies specific code sections that the proposed ordinance would amend:
- § 230-5 — definitions and word usage;
- § 230-18 — accessory structures in residence districts;
- § 230-26 — conversion for dwelling purposes;
- § 230-35 — R-1 accessory uses;
- § 230-42 — R-2 accessory uses; and
- the R-3 Multifamily District provisions.
The City says the ordinance would add definitions for accessory dwelling unit and housekeeping facility, identify where ADUs are allowed, and set density and development standards.
Check the outcome of the scheduled September 28 hearing
The City’s public notice scheduled a hearing on Ordinance 2027-O-1 for September 28, 2026. That date has passed. The meeting archive now links September 28 minutes, but their contents and the ordinance’s final status were not verified during this check. Ask the City for the minutes, final signed ordinance and effective date.
Monday, September 28, 2026 — 6:30 PM
City Hall, 101 Clarke Avenue, Pocomoke City, MD 21851
The City’s notice invited interested parties to attend and present their views at the September 28 hearing. It also says a full copy of the proposed ordinance is available at City Hall during business hours.
Because the full proposed text is not currently exposed through a stable official online page we can quote section by section, this guide does not invent proposed size, parking, owner-occupancy, bedroom or setback numbers. Those should come from the final signed ordinance or a copy obtained directly from the City.
What applies before Ordinance 2027-O-1 becomes law?
Pocomoke City’s existing Chapter 230 remains the starting point until a new ordinance becomes effective.
Current § 230-17 says that, except as otherwise provided by the zoning chapter, not more than one dwelling structure may be located on a lot. That is one reason the new ADU ordinance matters: the City needs a specific regulatory framework for a secondary dwelling on a single-family lot.
Current § 230-26 also says a building may be converted to increase the number of dwelling units only where that occupancy would otherwise be permitted and where the resulting occupancy complies with the requirements governing new construction in the district.
Do not treat those older sections as a substitute for the coming ADU ordinance. They show the current zoning baseline that Ordinance 2027-O-1 is designed to modify.
Existing accessory-structure setbacks give us one useful benchmark
Pocomoke City’s current § 230-18 says residential accessory structures generally must be in the rear yard, at least:
- 5 feet from adjoining residential lot lines;
- 6 feet from alley lines; and
- 6 feet from other buildings on the same lot.
Maryland’s current ADU framework says local side and rear ADU setbacks may not be more restrictive than the jurisdiction’s existing accessory-structure setbacks.
That makes § 230-18 relevant when reviewing the final Pocomoke ordinance, but homeowners should wait for the enacted text before assuming a detached ADU can automatically use those exact setbacks.
The proposed ordinance touches R-1, R-2 and R-3
Pocomoke’s public notice specifically says Ordinance 2027-O-1 will amend the accessory-use sections in the R-1 and R-2 districts and provisions in the R-3 Multifamily District.
A local news report describing the September 8 first reading also says the proposal would allow ADUs as principal permitted uses in R-1, R-2 and R-3. Because the official hearing notice is the controlling public notice and does not spell out the final district-by-district table, homeowners should confirm the exact wording from the ordinance itself before relying on that characterization.
Maryland’s 75% rule will be one key test of the final Pocomoke ordinance
Maryland’s HB 1466 framework defines an ADU as a secondary dwelling unit on the same lot as a primary single-family detached dwelling and allows an ADU up to 75% of the size of the primary dwelling.
The Maryland Department of Planning says covered jurisdictions may not impose a local ADU maximum below that 75% threshold.
When Pocomoke’s final ordinance is available, one of the first checks should therefore be:
- how the City measures the primary dwelling;
- whether it imposes a percentage or absolute square-foot cap;
- whether that cap complies with the state 75% standard; and
- whether any separate rule applies to internal versus detached units.
Use our Maryland ADU size guide to understand the state framework, but wait for the City’s final ordinance before selecting a Pocomoke-specific maximum.
Parking cannot simply be added without the state-required process
Maryland’s 2026 rules also limit local ADU parking requirements. If Pocomoke wants to impose additional off-street parking specifically because of an ADU, the City must complete the required parking study and provide a waiver process.
The public hearing notice does not disclose the proposal’s exact parking language. Ask the City whether Ordinance 2027-O-1:
- requires an additional parking space;
- relies on existing zoning parking requirements;
- includes a waiver procedure; and
- is supported by the parking study required under Maryland law.
Pocomoke is also updating its Critical Area rules
A 2025 Critical Area working draft prepared for Pocomoke City included accessory dwelling units as a permitted use in the IDA and LDA and a conditionally permitted use in the RCA when allowed by the underlying zoning district.
Because that document was a working draft rather than the final 2026 ADU ordinance, do not mix its Critical Area provisions with Ordinance 2027-O-1 without confirming what the City ultimately adopted.
If a parcel is in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, ask for both the current general ADU zoning rule and the current Critical Area overlay standards.
What to ask Pocomoke City before paying for plans
- What happened to Ordinance 2027-O-1 after the hearing scheduled for September 28?
- What is the final effective date?
- Which zoning districts permit ADUs?
- Are internal, attached and detached ADUs all allowed?
- What maximum size and measurement method apply?
- Does the ordinance impose owner occupancy?
- What bedroom or occupancy limits apply?
- What side and rear setbacks apply to a detached ADU?
- What height and lot-coverage standards apply?
- What parking requirement applies?
- Has the City completed the state-required ADU parking study?
- What parking-waiver process is available?
- Can an existing garage or accessory building be converted?
- What utility, floodplain or Critical Area review is required?
- What building, electrical, plumbing and occupancy permits are required?
Pocomoke City homeowner checklist
- Confirm the property is inside Pocomoke City limits.
- Check the zoning district.
- Ask whether Ordinance 2027-O-1 is still proposed or has been adopted.
- Obtain the final signed ordinance before choosing a legal ADU size.
- Confirm whether the project is internal, attached or detached.
- Verify the current setback and lot-coverage rules.
- Confirm parking and the waiver process.
- Check Critical Area and floodplain status.
- Confirm water/sewer and utility requirements.
- Prepare a survey or site plan before final design.
- Map all zoning, building and trade-permit steps.
- Do not make a non-refundable prefab or construction commitment until the final ordinance is confirmed.
Pocomoke City MD ADU FAQs
Has Pocomoke City adopted its ADU ordinance?
Final adoption and the effective date have not been verified in this guide. The public hearing was scheduled for September 28, 2026; the scheduled date has passed. Obtain the meeting minutes and final signed ordinance from the City before relying on the proposal.
What will Ordinance 2027-O-1 do?
The City says it will add ADU and housekeeping-facility definitions, identify the districts where ADUs are allowed, and establish ADU density and development standards by amending multiple sections of Chapter 230.
Which Pocomoke zoning districts are involved?
The official notice says the ordinance will amend the R-1 and R-2 accessory-use sections and the R-3 Multifamily District provisions. Confirm the final district table from the signed ordinance after adoption.
What are the current accessory-building setbacks?
Existing § 230-18 generally requires residential accessory structures to be in the rear yard, 5 feet from adjoining residential lot lines and 6 feet from alley lines and other buildings. Confirm how the final ADU ordinance applies those standards.
Which rules apply while the ordinance’s final status is unverified?
Do not assume the proposed Ordinance 2027-O-1 is already effective. Ask the City Zoning Administrator which current law applies to an application submitted before the new ordinance is adopted and effective.
Who should I contact about a Pocomoke ADU?
Start with Pocomoke City Hall at 101 Clarke Avenue, Pocomoke City, Maryland 21851. The City’s public-hearing notice says the complete proposed Ordinance 2027-O-1 is available there during normal weekday business hours.
Primary sources checked
- Pocomoke City — Public Hearing Notice for Ordinance 2027-O-1
- Pocomoke City — Mayor and City Council meetings / September 8 first reading
- Pocomoke City — Chapter 230 Zoning
- Pocomoke City — Article IV General Regulations, §§ 230-17, 230-18 and 230-26
- Pocomoke City — R-2 Residence District
- Pocomoke City — R-3 Multifamily District
- Maryland Department of Planning — HB 1466 ADU FAQ
- Maryland Land Use § 4-504
Maryland ADU Guide is an independent research publication, not Pocomoke City, Worcester County, a law firm, architect or contractor. This page distinguishes Pocomoke’s existing zoning code from proposed Ordinance 2027-O-1. Final adoption had not been verified from posted City minutes or a vote result as of September 30, 2026. Confirm the final signed ordinance and parcel-specific requirements with the City before spending money on design or construction.
What to do next
Confirm whether Ordinance 2027-O-1 has become law before selecting an ADU size or layout.
- Confirm who reviews the property.
- Ask Pocomoke City Hall for the current signed ADU ordinance.
- Gather your zoning district, survey, utility, floodplain and Critical Area information.
- Continue to the Maryland ADU planning tools.
Planning guidance is not permit approval.