Wicomico residents, county officials clash over permit for alleged biorefinery in A‑1 farm zone

WICOMICO COUNTY — County zoning and building officials and local residents sparred at an appeals hearing over whether a structure permitted as a storage pole building is actually an industrial biorefinery operating in an A‑1 agricultural district.

Zoning Administrator Mr. Meadows said poultry production is a permitted use by right in the A‑1 district and that the county’s zoning code treats poultry houses as part of broader agricultural operations subject to design standards. "Poultry production is permitted by right in the A‑1 district," he said, adding that the county does not require an additional use approval for poultry operations, though standards vary by property size.

The dispute centers on a large building on Atkins Road that the property owner permitted as a pole building for storage. Kia Safai, Wicomico County chief building inspector, said his office accepted a permit application listing the intended use as "storage," but that on-site inspections found structural work and equipment inconsistent with a simple storage shell. "The structural design that was submitted to the department as a storage facility was significantly different than the actual structure that was being constructed," Safai said, describing a concrete platform, bolt connections, and other elements he said supported heavy equipment and a crane system.

Why this matters: Residents said the building appears designed for industrial processing and raised concerns about air emissions, truck traffic, potential contamination of nearby wells and the paleo water channel that runs…