Howard County Board of Appeals dismisses conditional-use petition after finding public-notice shortcomings

The Howard County Board of Appeals dismissed a conditional-use petition for a landscaping business at 2921 Terrapin Run in West Friendship on March 13, 2025, after finding the petitioner failed to satisfy public-notice and posting requirements in Howard County Code section 2.203.

The dismissal came after a contested preliminary hearing on whether the petitioner had made a “good faith effort” to comply with notice requirements. Chair Gene Ryan announced the board’s final vote: “I will vote yes to dismiss. The motion is carried. The petition is dismissed. The office of law will prepare a decision order which we published and transmit all parties and this hearing is adjourned. Thank you, everyone.”

The petition, filed by Bernard Granzo trading as Blythewood Landscape Management LLC (case BA24051C), sought conditional-use approval under the County zoning regulations for a landscape contractor at a 5.48-acre parcel identified as 2921 Terrapin Run (tax map 15, grid 23, partial 160) in the RC/DEO (Rural Conservation Density Exchange Overlay) zoning district. The board heard argument and testimony from petitioner, the petitioner’s counsel Andrew H. Robinson, Board staff (Mr. Sanders), and neighborhood residents opposed to the petition.

Why it matters: Howard County’s rules require both newspaper advertising and on-site posting to provide notice of quasi-judicial land-use hearings; failure to comply can…