In a recent government meeting in Howard County, Maryland, discussions centered around the compliance of agritourism activities at a local farm. The meeting highlighted concerns regarding the activities permitted under agritourism and whether they align with the county's regulations.

Dr. Sara Via questioned the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) about their oversight of events at the farm. She noted that DPZ had only visited the site twice before a remand order was issued, which required a reevaluation of the activities taking place there. The remand order aimed to determine if the farm was exceeding its permitted uses.

Inspector Frank confirmed that the DPZ had not attended specific events, such as visits from the Ravens, axe throwing, and political fundraisers, which were mentioned in the zoning hearing examiner's decision. This decision pointed out that some activities, like those involving the Ravens and holiday events, might not be related to agriculture.

The DPZ stated that their investigation focused on distinguishing between ongoing activities and larger festival events, primarily in response to complaints about frequent large-scale events. However, they acknowledged that they did not specifically check if the events mentioned were occurring during their visits.

Dr. Via emphasized that the zoning ordinance requires agritourism activities to be incidental to the primary operation of farming. The DPZ confirmed that the primary use of the site is indeed farming, raising questions about the appropriateness of the various events being held.

The meeting underscored the challenges faced by the DPZ in monitoring compliance with agritourism permits and the need for clearer guidelines on what constitutes permissible activities on such properties.