The Frostburg Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve a special‑exception application allowing an artisan small‑scale indoor mushroom manufacturing operation in the C‑1 University Corridor Mixed Use District, following testimony from the applicants and a planning commission recommendation.

Justin Tippen, the applicant, told the board the proposed operation would be located in a large basement at the subject property and would not involve on‑site sales or large delivery trucks. "The mushrooms don't put off any odor as they're growing," Tippen said, adding the building already has sprinklers and that he had contacted the fire marshal for a site walkthrough.

Corey Hyman, a partner on the project, described production and safety practices and said the business uses daily monitoring, disposal of contaminated bags and routine cleaning to limit mold and spores. "Part of my spore mitigation strategy is to make sure that we harvest the mushrooms early enough so that the spore release is much more limited," Hyman said, and noted he carries general liability insurance and follows food‑safety protocols.

Planning staff told the board the (Prosper) Planning Commission met on Nov. 12, 2025 and unanimously recommended approval with stipulations. Staff also presented a parking analysis: the site has 15 spaces (14 standard and one ADA); 12 spaces were calculated as required for the existing residential units and two additional spaces would be required for the new use, so staff concluded the existing parking should be sufficient.

Board members questioned whether indoor agriculture fit the C‑1 district's list of uses and raised tenant‑health and notification concerns. The chair said tenants on nearby floors should be given adequate notice and said he worried about possible breathing impacts, referencing his own family experience. Board members discussed ventilation plans and filters; applicants said rooms would be sealed and air would be vented to the exterior. The applicants already use HEPA filtration on intake air at their existing facility, and the board discussed requiring HEPA filtration on exhaust as an added condition.

A board member moved to approve the special exception as presented and another member seconded. The board recorded the motion as carried and the record shows the vote was announced as unanimous by the body. Planning staff will prepare the required signature page and final paperwork; board members discussed adding the exhaust‑HEPA stipulation to the approval paperwork before signatures are completed.

The board noted that an ordinance change to allow the use as a permitted activity in C‑1 is expected to be considered by the mayor and council in the coming weeks, which could obviate the need for similar special‑exception requests in the future. The hearing concluded with instructions to complete the formal paperwork and return signed copies to the city clerk.