• Promote community involvement.
• Provide accurate information to our residents.
• Maintain an attitude which respects the dignity of our City. 
• Insuring all businesses within City limits are registered and compliant.
• In order to help maintain property values within the City of Glenarden, Code Enforcement vigilantly patrols vacant/abandoned properties for exterior maintenance of the property. 

• Attend appropriate conferences and training. 
• Effectively enforcing building codes for new construction projects with business and home owner's improvement permits. 
• Aggressive steps must be taken to remove abandoned vehicles from homeowner's properties and city streets. 
• Reducing the amount of inoperative and unregistered vehicles off public streets. 
• The Code Enforcement Department prides itself on the timely response rate to citizen information request and complaints. 
• Locating vacant property owners and putting a tax lien on properties.
• Continue to partner with the Glenarden Police Department in enforcing our City Codes to ensure that our City is reduced of crime. 

Building Permits

52-2. Permit required.
[Amended 5-12-1997 by Ord. No. O-01-97; 11-9-1998 by Ord. No. O-21-98]

1. No building or structure of any kind shall be erected in and no structural alterations, reconstructions, or additions shall be made on any public right-of-way unless and until a City permit shall have been first had and obtained. All unauthorized construction in the public right-of-way shall be removed or corrected by the person required by this subsection to have a permit. Such construction must be removed or corrected under the supervision of the City Engineer or an authorized representative. This provision shall not apply to construction by the City or to construction by a person working in conformance with a contract with the City.
2. No exterior or interior construction, structural alterations, reconstructions or additions, work requiring a county permit, and no demolition or razing of structures, or grading, shall be carried out on any private or commercial property, unless and until City and county permits shall have been first had and obtained. All construction for which a permit is required but not obtained shall be removed or corrected by the person required by this subsection to have a permit. Such construction must be removed or corrected under the supervision of the City Engineer or authorized representative.  [Amended 6-9-2008 by Ord. No. O-16-2008]

52-3. Stop-work order.
[Added 11-9-1998 by Ord. No. O-21-98]

No person, firm, association, partnership, corporation or combination thereof shall continue to work in violation of the provisions of a “stop-work” sign still in effect and operation.

52-4. Application required.
[Amended 5-11-1992 by Ord. No. O-4-92; 6-9-2008 by Ord. No. O-16-2008]

Every person who erects or causes to be erected any exterior or interior construction or any building within the City or makes structural alterations or additions, or who shall perform any demolition or razing of structures or grading shall make a written application to the Code Enforcement Officer before commencing work for a building permit. The documentation to accompany each building permit application must include:

1. A copy of the Prince George's County approved building permit with approved plans.
2. Legible and accurate drawings and photographs sufficient to indicate the completed appearance of the proposed construction and landscapes, and the contemplated estimated value of the building alteration or addition.
3. A site plan to indicate the changes in topography, existing plants and trees, proposed planting, driveways, walks, patios, wall and fence locations and the relationship of the new construction to adjacent existing construction.
4. A front elevation drawing of the proposed construction, drawn to scale, indicating materials, ornaments, existing and finished grades and proposed planting.
5. Either a side elevation drawing, drawn to scale, indicating the same information as in front elevation or a three-dimensional drawing, isometric or perspective, to indicate the completed overall appearance of the proposed construction.
6. Any other documentation reasonably necessary for proper review.

52-5. Where to apply; fees.
[Amended 5-11-1992 by Ord. No. O-4-92; 11-9-1998 by Ord. No. O-21-98]

1. Where to apply. The applicant may apply for a building permit at the Glenarden City Hall, 8600 Glenarden Parkway, Glenarden, Maryland, any day, Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The applicant must submit a specified number of forms and plans to the Code Enforcement Officer. The Code Enforcement Officer will then issue a permit reference number to the applicant and submit all paperwork to the Mayor/City Manager for processing and distribution.
2. Fees. The filing and permit fees required to obtain a building permit for interior and exterior construction and structural alteration, reconstruction or additions, or any demolition or razing of structures, or grading, to be carried out on any private or commercial property are to be established by the Mayor and City Council from time to time by resolution setting and amending a fee schedule. Said fee schedule shall include building permits issued under this chapter and permits required by § 69-4 for erosion and sediment control, § 73-6 for fences and walls, § 142-9 for utility cuts, and § 142-20A and C for work in the right-of-way.[Amended 6-9-2008 by Ord. No. O-16-2008]

Fences and Walls

73-1. Barbed wire.
No fence or barrier made in whole or in part of barbed wire shall be erected or constructed along or adjacent to any street, road, alley or public way or immediately adjacent to an adjoining lot or property line.

73-2. Building line and height requirements in front yards.
[Amended 5-11-1992 by Ord. No. O-4-92]

No wall, fence or any barrier of any kind, not including retaining walls, shall be erected beyond the front building line established by the Zoning Ordinance for the Maryland-Washington Regional District, provided that no retaining wall in a front yard shall extend more than one foot above the ground level on which the house sits.

73-3. Construction materials.
Walls built to retain or support the lateral pressure of earth or water or other superimposed loads shall be designed and constructed of approved masonry, reinforced concrete, steel sheet piling or other approved materials within the allowable stresses of accepted engineering practices.

73-4. Height restrictions.
No wall or fence combination shall exceed six feet in height.

No wall or fence the design or construction of which, in the judgment of the City Code Enforcement Officer, the Mayor and the Council, would be detrimental to the public welfare, safety and comfort of the citizens of the City will be permitted to be erected.

[Amended 1-14-1991 by Ord. No. O-1-91]

No person shall commence the erection, construction or alteration of any wall or fence unless he shall first make application to the City and obtain a permit for such work from the City.

73-7. Violations and penalties.
[Amended 1-14-1991 by Ord. No. O-1-91; 5-11-1992 by Ord. No. O-4-92]

1. Violation of any part of this chapter shall be deemed a municipal infraction and shall be punishable as provided in § 1-20B of this Code.
2. Further, if a fence or wall is erected in violation of this chapter, the property owner and or the person(s) responsible for the erection of the fence or wall shall be required to dismantle and remove all parts of the fence or wall in violation of City code(s) within 10 days of notice of said violation. Should the property owner fail or refuse to dismantle and remove said fence or wall after having received notice, the City may take necessary measures to ensure removal. All related costs that the City incurs to effect the removal shall constitute a lien on the subject property in accordance with § 602, Subsection (a)(31), of the City Charter.

Vehicles on lawns or grass plots.
[Amended 12-8-1997 by Ord. No. O-13-97]

No person shall repair or cause to be repaired any vehicle on the lawn, grass, plot area, driveway or carport of any public or private property within the City limits of Glenarden

Unregistered vehicles.
[Amended 4-14-2008 by Ord. No. O-11-2008]

It shall be unlawful to park, store or leave any vehicle, the certificate of title, registration card or registration plate of which was expired, revoked, canceled or suspended, or for the owner of any such vehicle to allow, permit or suffer the same to be parked, stored or left, whether attended or not, upon any private property unless enclosed in a garage, or upon any public street, highway, alley, or parking lot within the City of Glenarden for a period longer than 24 hours.

Inoperative vehicles.
[Amended 6-9-1997 by Ord. No. O-03-97; 11-9-1998 by Ord. No. O-18-98]

1. Definition: An "inoperative vehicle" is a motor vehicle which is missing or is not functional in any one or more of the following major mechanical components: engine, tires, steering wheels, transmission drive train or windows; or is otherwise inoperable.
2. The parking or storing of any inoperative vehicle which is dismantled, damaged, wrecked or unsightly, of every kind or description, upon residentially zoned property or any other property not zoned for such storage within the corporate limits of the City of Glenarden for a period of time longer than 24 hours after said inoperative vehicle becomes dismantled, damaged, wrecked or unsightly, unless said vehicle is stored in an enclosed garage, is hereby prohibited.   [Amended 4-14-2008 by Ord. No. O-11-2008]
3. Any partially dismantled or substantially damaged vehicle or one that is unlicensed or bearing an expired license shall be defined as an inoperable vehicle. Properties exempt from this section are: licensed motor vehicles dealers, motor vehicle mechanical or body repair facilities and towing storage compounds. However, such vehicles must be stored on the licensed property and fenced to shield the vehicle from view. Storage of a vehicle shall be limited to no more than 90 days, in accordance with the provisions of Section 107.01(a)253.3 of the Prince George’s County Code.
4. Any sworn police officer or Code Enforcement Officer of the City of Glenarden may impound inoperative vehicles 72 hours after a notice has been attached to the inoperative vehicle. The notice shall state, in pertinent part, “The attached vehicle is presumed inoperative. If not removed or brought into compliance with Article V, §149-26 of the City Code within 72 hours from the date of this notice, this vehicle shall be impounded and may be sent to a scrap processor. The vehicle owner shall be subject to a fine of $100, and held liable for all towing, storage, preservation and all other charges relating to the disposition of the vehicle.”
5. The Chief of Police for the City or his/her designee shall have the authority to extend the seventy-two-hour period before impoundment for a time not to exceed 30 days, upon receipt of a written statement setting forth the reasons for requesting such extensions.
6. Violation of this section shall be punishable as a municipal infraction as provided in § 149-47, Schedule XVII, of the City Code. Each day the inoperative vehicle is not properly stored, enclosed or removed in accordance with this section shall constitute a separate offense. No additional notice is required.

Commercial vehicle parking restriction.
[Added 5-12-1997 by Ord. No. O-02-97; amended 11-9-1998 by Ord. No. O-18-98; 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. O-03-2019]

1. No person shall park any commercial vehicle or other tractor, trailer, or tractor-trailer combination upon any public or residential property, except for the purpose of making local deliveries to said property.
2. No person shall park any commercial vehicle or other tractor, trailer or tractor-trailer combination, having a gross weight in excess of 1 1/2 tons, upon any commercial property unless the vehicle is registered in the name of the property owner and used in the identified business of the property owner.
3. A violation of any provision of said article shall be cited as a municipal infraction, subject to a fine of $200 payable to the municipality by the person charged in the citation within 20 calendar days of the summons.

[Amended 12-8-1997 by Ord. No. O-13-97; 11-9-1998 by Ord. No. O-18-98]

1. No person shall stop, park or leave standing any motor vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the unpaved area of any residential lot, except during a snow emergency. "Unpaved area" shall mean any surface not completely covered by asphalt, brick, block or concrete. A permit must be obtained to construct a paved area in accordance with § 52-2 of the City Code. City Code Enforcement Officers shall be authorized to enforce this section of the City Code. In the performance of their duties under this section, Code Enforcement Officers are hereby authorized to enter on private premises in the City of Glenarden in order to place a parking citation on a vehicle parked in violation hereof if the vehicle is clearly visible from the street. [Amended 6-10-2019 by Ord. No. O-07-2019]
2. No person shall stop or stand a vehicle upon any of the streets or parts of streets described in Schedule XII (§ 149-42), attached to and made a part of this chapter.
3.  Any violation of this section shall be cited as a municipal infraction, subject to a fine of $100 per violation payable to the municipality by the person charged in the citation within 20 calendar days of the summons.