RURAL PLANNING AND ZONING TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALS ACHIEVED 1. Preserve farmland and support new farmers to cultivate land 2. Earn fair profit through diversification, including Agritourism, and permissible labor housing 3. Preserve County’s rural character and enhance economic development through improved definitions, including Agritourism 4. Enforce regulations fairly and consistently by simplifying and clarifying regulations 5. Improve communication between rural community and County staff
PARTICIPATION • Nine diverse voting members - farm owners (crop and tree), realtor, equestrian, land development, land preservation and waterman • County staff - Director and Deputy of Planning & Growth Management (PGM), County Attorney, Agriculture Business Development Manager, and other county staff • 13 full task force meetings and numerous sub committee meetings from June to October
Attachment A : Primary recommendations Attachment B : Secondary recommendations; may not directly relate to our missions but items that need clarification and could benefit Charles County residents
AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COUNCIL Issue : Task force could not address all issues in timeframe and ongoing feedback would be beneficial Action : • Advisory Council meet at least 6x per year and report to BOCC • 7 residents from various areas of agriculture and 1 County staff member • Forum to identify trends and issues
LIAISON POSITION Issue : Citizen complaints regarding unclear County regulations Action : • Additional duty of Ag Business Manager • Single point of contact • Relay trends and issues from public to PGM and help develop information guides
EASE OF USE Issue : Outdated and confusing regulations are contradictory and confusing Action : • Prioritize funds to rewrite and reorganize regulations • Create and improve information guides • Encourage culture of assisting and promoting agricultural operations within regulations
ZONING DEFINITIONS Issue : Some terms did not exist or needed refining; in particular, activities related to Agritourism, which the State of Maryland has recommended we encourage Action : Definitions were written or refined for Agricultural Operation, Agricultural Tourism, Ecotourism, Farm Alcohol Production Facility, Forestry Operation
AGRICULTURE BUILDING EXEMPTIONS Issue : Permitting requirements are time consuming, costly and inhibit ability to address weather related obstacles. Action : Recommendations written for certain exemptions that would allow timely and cost effective building meant for agriculture use
SEASONAL LABOR HOUSING Issue : Need for low-cost on-site housing for scarce seasonal agriculture workers Action : • Remove phrase in Table of Permissible Uses that requires compliance with repealed COMAR 10.16.01 • Replace COMAR provision with language regarding housing standards requirements
AQUACULTURE & SEAFOOD PROCESSING Issue : Vague regulations; Shellfish operations currently not permissible; delay in permits for piers and bulkheads Action : • Clarify current regulations by defining and refining “Fisheries Activities” • Add section to Table of Uses to allow Shellfish Operations in AC, RC and WCD zones at least 100 feet from property lines • Eliminate county approval since they are processed and permitted at the state level
CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT & FAMILY CONVEYANCE Issue : Farm families need future generations to live on the farm to learn farm practices. Cluster subdivisions preserve large tracts of productive farmland. Action : • Allow cluster subdivisions on parcels less than 50 acres and allow shared septic and water • Specific recommendations to allow conveyance of a lot to immediate family member to live on farm
PRIVATE DRIVES Issue : Minor subdivisions created prior to the increase in minimum width requirement and families adding a home to their farm, have suffered financial hardship due to new requirement. Regulations also require additional 10’ setback for private roads. Action : • Grandfather clause for lots created prior to 12/1/2019 to allow 10’ wide with passing lanes • Private drives servicing Family Conveyance lots allowed 10’ width • Eliminate additional requirement for 10’ setback for private drives (decreased costs and minimizes impervious surfaces)
ACCESSORY USES & STRUCTURES Issue : Farm owners seeking to subdivide must remove existing structure and cannot build structure on vacant lots. Farmers frequently need agricultural buildings on vacant lots. Action : Rewrote wording to allow structures.
YARD AVERAGING & BOUNDARY LINE ADJUSTMENTS Issue : Regulations do not allow averaging for rear yards like they do for front and side (problems arise due to topographic issues etc). Boundary line adjustments fall into Minor Subdivision regulations so simple line adjustments become costly. Action : Create separate category called “Administrative Plats”
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