Caroline County advisory board approves Bell Creek Farm subdivision to preserve irrigated farmland

The Caroline County advisory board voted to accept a proposal from Bell Creek Farm LLC to subdivide a large farm parcel along Bell Creek Road into two agricultural parcels, preserving existing irrigation access and enabling separate management by members of the Lyons family.

Willard Parker, representing Bell Creek Farm LLC, told the advisory board the LLC — formed by a father and his three sons — acquired the property in February and proposes splitting the parcel so family members can continue farming it separately. Parker said, “we propose to subdivide it into 2 parts. 1 part of 238 acres and the other part of a 191 acres.” He said the lines were drawn to follow three existing irrigation pivots and natural boundaries so each resulting parcel can remain irrigated and agriculturally viable.

The proposal would assign the 238-acre parcel to Kent Lyons and the 191-acre parcel to Jeff Lyons, Parker said. He told the board the split is intended to support generational ownership and farming continuity and is not intended “for the purpose of developing residences or taking it out of agricultural use in any way.”

Board members asked whether the subdivision would diminish future agricultural productivity. A board member asked whether dividing the acreage would reduce viability; Parker and representatives said it would not, noting attention to pivot coverage, soil distribution and access roads. One board member observed that an irrigator (pivot) would cross the proposed boundary; a representative responded that this arrangement has worked for 25 years but acknowledged it could pose issues in the future if circumstances changed.

Planning staff and the applicant discussed application paperwork. The applicant and staff noted a previously referenced subdivision plat dated Sept. 10, 2020, and the need to submit a full application and an updated first page of the owner’s statement to address that reference. Parker said he would provide the requested substitution of the first page.

After brief discussion, a board member moved to accept the proposal "as presented." A staff member seconded the motion. The advisory board approved the proposal by voice vote; counts were not specified on the record. The board directed the applicants to supply the full application materials to county planning staff for formal county zoning review and permitting.

The action preserves farming use on the site, keeps existing irrigation infrastructure in service, and allows members of Bell Creek Farm LLC to operate separate agricultural parcels with different farming approaches (one organic and one conventional), pending completion of the formal zoning and permitting process.