Queen Anne's County, MD Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Site plans, major and minor subdivisions, and demolition building permits
- Exempt
- Administrative subdivisions
- Decision maker
- Planning Director or designee
- Advisor
- Heritage Coordinator recommendation
- Second tier deadline
- Within 30 days of the determination
- Emergency waiver
- Imminent threat or structure subject to condemnation
Summary
In unincorporated Queen Anne's County, Maryland, any site plan, major or minor subdivision, or building permit that proposes demolishing a historic structure must go through a two-tiered review and documentation process before approval. The Planning Director decides whether the deeper second tier is needed, and administrative subdivisions are exempt.
A. This article sets forth standards for review and documentation of historic structures. The standards: (1) Apply to applications for approval of all site plans and major and minor subdivisions that involve any historic structures proposed for demolition, and building permits that propose demolition of any historic structure(s), and (2) Do not apply to administrative subdivisions. B. Prior to the approval of the application, review and documentation of any historic structure(s) shall be conducted in accordance with the following two-tiered process: (1) First tier review and documentation procedure. Subject to the review of the following information, and based on the recommendation of the Heritage Coordinator, a determination shall be made by the Planning Director or his/her designee if a second tier review and documentation is required: ... (2) Second tier review and documentation. Pursuant to a first tier determination, a second tier review and documentation shall be completed within 30 days of the determination, which may result in completion of a Maryland Inventory of Historic Places form developed by the Maryland Historical Trust.
Full Breakdown
Article XVI of Part 5 of Chapter 18:1, added by the County Commissioners through Ord. No. 06-20 on 5-15-2007, sets the review the Department of Planning and Zoning runs whenever a historic structure is slated to come down in unincorporated Queen Anne's County. Section 18:1-91 applies to applications for approval of all site plans and major and minor subdivisions that involve any historic structures proposed for demolition, and to building permits that propose demolition of any historic structure(s). It does not apply to administrative subdivisions. The review and documentation must be finished prior to the approval of the application.
The first tier is a paperwork and photo step. The applicant provides a basic floor plan that includes interior and exterior dimensions of the structure(s), and the Department conducts a site inspection to photograph the structure, which can include both the exterior and the interior. Based on the recommendation of the Heritage Coordinator, the Planning Director or his or her designee then determines whether a second tier is required.
If it is, the second tier must be completed within 30 days of the determination and can result in completion of a Maryland Inventory of Historic Places form, which the Maryland Historical Trust developed. The second tier consists of photographs of exterior details such as chimneys, wall coverings, windows, and doors; photographs of any outbuildings; access to the interior so staff can photograph unique elements that help date the structure, including woodwork, window surrounds, fireplaces, stairways, mantels, doors, and newel posts; and overall measurements of the structure.
One exception is printed. The Planning Director or designee can waive or modify these requirements when a structure is deemed to be an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the adjoining properties and persons, or is determined to be subject to condemnation in accordance with current building codes.
This article is a documentation requirement tied to the demolition application. The floodplain rules for historic structures sit separately in Chapter 14:3 and are not part of this review.
Violations & Fines
Section 18:1-91 prints no penalty of its own. The enforcement lever is timing: the review and documentation must be completed prior to approval of the application, so a site plan, subdivision, or demolition building permit involving a historic structure cannot move forward until the Planning Director's tiers are satisfied. A second tier review is due within 30 days of the determination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Queen Anne's County ban demolishing a historic structure?
What does the applicant provide in the first tier?
What is in a second tier review?
Can the review be waived in an emergency?
Do the towns inside Queen Anne's County use this article?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Queen Anne's County
Compare Queen Anne's County to another location·View the Maryland historic preservation overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.