The St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners on March 3 approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Homegrown Farm Market LLC to develop a permanent farm market on the county‑owned Fenwick property at Route 235 and Forest Park Road in Lexington Park.

County planning and economic-development staff told the board the county has $187,241.40 in cigarette restitution funds set aside for the project and recommended using those funds to complete a major site plan and preliminary site work. The major site plan is required because the Maryland State Highway Administration’s technical comments on traffic access (acceleration/deceleration lanes, hydrology and stormwater management) mean the project cannot proceed on the earlier minor-site-plan footprint.

Why it matters: supporters said a permanent market with covered vendor space and basic infrastructure would create a year‑round outlet for Southern Maryland growers and seafood vendors, add to local agritourism and provide space for education and value‑added processing in the future. County staff and the market LLC agreed the $187,241 is finite; if SHA requirements expand the scope of required road work, the funds may cover only site preparation rather than a building.

Discussion highlights: presenters from the Homegrown Farm Market LLC — several local farmers who formed an LLC to manage the market — told commissioners the group intends the market to be open to all regional farmers and that the LLC’s seven founding members would handle management and day‑to‑day operations. County staff noted choices remain for the larger Fenwick tract (100‑acre farmstead) including whether to sell, hold for future county use or preserve for agriculture; those decisions will return to the board. Staff also reminded commissioners the county previously removed 31 TDRs from the property and donated five lots to Habitat for Humanity as part of the original Fenwick plan.

Outcome: The board voted to sign the MOU authorizing county staff to proceed with the major site plan work and to proceed toward a future lease with Homegrown Farm Market LLC. Commissioners emphasized the county would return for explicit approval of any additional funding or lease terms. The motion carried without recorded opposing votes.

What’s next: staff will move forward with a major site plan (state highway coordination, stormwater design and related engineering). If the site plan yields a feasible construction scope, the county and the LLC will finalize a lease and seek any additional funding or cigarette-restitution allocations required for a building or year‑round market infrastructure.

Ending: Approving the MOU clears the way for engineering and state permitting work using county-held cigarette restitution funds; the market’s construction and any expanded infrastructure remain subject to future approvals and available funding.