Carroll County BZA approves farm brewery conditional use, grants two setback variances with restrictions

The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals on an oral vote approved a conditional-use permit and two setback variances for Harvest Bloom Farm LLC to operate a farm alcohol producer at a 3.71-acre site on Hampstead Mexico Road.

The board's approval, made at the conclusion of a public hearing on Case 6539, included conditions intended to limit community impacts: music must be acoustic and non-amplified, ending by 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; operating hours were set at 10 a.m.–9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m.–8 p.m. on other days. The board said the oral decision will be finalized in a written order within 30 days.

Applicant witnesses described the project as primarily agricultural with an on-site 2,113-square-foot production and tasting building. Kevin Hilton, who testified that he manages the proposed operation, said the site would grow hops, berries and other crops and process those ingredients into beer and fermented malt beverages. "We would like to be in the neighborhood of 2 to 400 barrels" a year, Hilton testified, and said about 75–90% of ingredients would come from Carroll County suppliers.

Neighbors urged denial or strict limits. Stephanie Jennifer Howard, who lives adjacent to the parcel, told the board the "property is too small for the requested use" and called the two variances "excessive," citing county setback language and examples of much larger farm-brewery operations elsewhere. Joel Robert Howard, another nearby resident, also opposed the application, arguing the proposed use could affect property values and neighborhood character.

Applicant counsel David K. Bowersox told the board the application meets the county code's elements for a farm alcohol producer and that evidence of speculative concern does not demonstrate a specific adverse impact. He noted site constraints the applicant says make a strict application of the 200-foot setbacks impractical, including an approved septic area and a well radius. "This is first and foremost a utilization of an undersized parcel of land," Bowersox said in closing.

Board discussion focused on two recurring concerns voiced during testimony: the potential for the business to "morph" over time into a larger event venue and the risks from noise and traffic. Several members said the project's limited acreage and the conditions the board imposed should reduce those risks; others said site-plan review and state licensing will further constrain how the operation may develop.

The county planning staff's memos in the record said the conditional use is consistent with the Carroll County master plan as amended in 2019. County agencies, including environmental health and development review, also provided comments that will be addressed in the site-plan and permitting stages. The board noted that health, stormwater and other permits remain required before many operational aspects can proceed.

The board's approval included the two requested variances from the county setback requirements as part of the same motion. The board's oral action can be appealed to the Circuit Court for Carroll County within 30 days after the written decision is issued.

The written decision, including the full list of conditions the board adopted, will be issued by the BZA within 30 days unless extended. The applicant and members of the public were informed of the right to seek judicial review of the board's decision.