Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council introduces zoning text amendments to allow limited agritourism stays and a Great Seneca overlay zone
Summary
Council introduced ZTA 24‑02 to permit limited campground/overnight stays in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve under strict conditions (minimum acreage, primarily farm use, impact limits) and ZTA 24‑03 (Great Seneca life sciences overlay); sponsors said extensive stakeholder engagement informed the language.
On June 11 the Montgomery County Council, sitting as the district council, introduced two zoning text amendments: ZTA 24‑02 (Agricultural and Rural Zones — campgrounds) and ZTA 24‑03 (Great Seneca life sciences overlay zone).
Lead sponsors of ZTA 24‑02 described the measure as the product of months of stakeholder discussion, including farmers, residents and organized groups such as the Sugarloaf Citizens Association and the Countryside Alliance. Sponsor remarks stressed balancing new agritourism opportunities with the Agricultural Reserve’s primary purpose of preserving farmland.
Key elements described by sponsors include limiting participation to properties primarily used for farming, allowing only parcels of 25 acres or larger to host overnight stays, and restricting campground size and impacts to protect water resources and preserve future farming potential. Sponsors said the 2022 Maryland General Assembly’s expansion of the state agritourism definition enabled local jurisdictions to update zoning codes to allow limited overnight stays.
Council members from rural districts and from across the county praised extensive stakeholder engagement and added cosponsors during the introduction. The sponsors said they expect a public hearing and a Planning, Housing, and Parks (PHP) committee work session to follow as part of the normal legislative process.
ZTA 24‑03 (Great Seneca overlay zone) was introduced at the request of the Planning Board; council announced a public hearing for July 16 and scheduled a bus tour with planning staff to visit relevant sites.
What’s next: Both ZTAs are at introduction stage; public hearings and committee work sessions will follow. Sponsors urged continued stakeholder input as the items move to formal public hearings and work sessions.
