Council hears farmers and neighbors on agritourism zoning change that would permit small farm stays and events

After a break, council members resumed the public hearing to consider Council Bill 74 (ZRA217), a zoning regulation amendment to expand permitted agricultural uses for agritourism. Linda Eisenberg, director of Planning & Zoning, said the amendment implements provisions of the county general plan (HOCO by Design) and creates a pathway for small farms to host educational visits, limited farm stays and other secondary revenue activities under special farm permits.

‘‘This bill introduces new uses including small scale agritourism and incidental outdoor stays under special farm permits,’’ Eisenberg said, adding that the change allows smaller operations to participate in agritourism while preserving agriculture as the primary land use. Secretary Addicks (Office of Agriculture) framed the changes as advancing food security, conservation and agricultural literacy by connecting the public to farms.

Farm organizations and many producers testified in strong support. Leslie Bauer, president of the Howard County Farm Bureau, and Kathy Hudson, chair of the Agricultural Preservation Board, described declining farm incomes and argued that agritourism provides essential supplemental revenue that helps preserve farmland. Farmers described real examples — bed‑and‑breakfast conversions, pick‑your‑own operations and small festivals — that the amendment would clarify or allow.

Neighborhood advocates and the Howard County Citizens Association urged amendments to strengthen enforcement and protect residents from noise, traffic and repeated weekend events. Joan Pontius asked the council to retain limits such as a cap on festivals per year, require that event access be on arterial roads, and retain conditional‑use limits tied to preservation easements; the HCCA raised enforcement failures in a prior Manor Hill case and asked for explicit penalties and inspection procedures.

Several producers proposed refinements rather than rejection: scale visitor limits to parcel size, ensure inspection requirements are practical, and preserve shared driveway protections for adjacent homeowners. The Office of Agriculture and DPZ acknowledged those concerns and said staff would work through technical amendments to reconcile farm viability with neighborhood protections.

No final legislative action was taken at the hearing; the council adjourned and indicated it will continue deliberations at the next scheduled meeting.