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Kent County planning commission recommends three farms for agricultural‑preservation districts
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Summary
The Kent County Planning Commission voted March 5 to forward favorable recommendations to the County Commissioners for three agricultural‑preservation district applications, citing soil quality, contiguous acreage and compliance with MALPF criteria; the commission recorded motions and votes for each property.
The Kent County Planning Commission on March 5 voted to recommend establishing agricultural‑preservation districts for three separate farms, forwarding each application to the County Commissioners.
Planning staff presented the applications, noting that each parcel met the county code and Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) criteria. Holly, a county planner, told the commission that Duck Puddle Farming Enterprises LLC seeks a district on an 88.098‑acre farm on Carol Clark Road in Massey, of which 87 acres are cropland and the soils are class 1 and 2. "Therefore, the property meets or exceeds the criteria for creating the district and complies with the goals of the comprehensive plan," Holly said.
The commission also recommended the Wright and Keeley parcel in Chestertown — a 199.72‑acre farm with 147.1 acres of cropland and roughly 66% class 1–3 soils — after staff and the Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board endorsed the application. A third recommendation covered a proposal from Robert and Amy Crow for an 83.502‑acre farm on Duck Puddle Road in Kennedyville; staff said about 66 acres are cropland and roughly 92% of soils are class 2 and 3.
Each application was presented with the advisory board’s review and a staff recommendation to forward a favorable recommendation to the County Commissioners. Commissioners moved and seconded the motions for each district and the motions carried.
Why it matters: Agricultural‑preservation districts are a tool counties use to protect productive farmland and to qualify parcels for easement programs such as MALPF. The commission’s favorable recommendations send these applications to the County Commissioners, who must act on the requests.
What’s next: The County Commissioners will receive the planning commission’s recommendations and may vote to establish the agricultural preservation districts or request further review. The planning record notes the farms intend to apply for MALPF easement funding in fiscal year 2027.
