The Montgomery County Council approved a zoning measure, allowing overnight stays in the county’s agricultural reserve and other rural areas. The decision aims to provide property owners with an additional opportunity for agritourism.
The zoning text amendment (ZTA 24-02), titled “Agricultural and Rural Zones—Campground,” was spearheaded by councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Dawn Luedtke, Sidney Katz, and Natali Fani-González. This initiative followed feedback from residents, agricultural operators, and advocates for the agricultural reserve.
The zoning measure’s development involved community outreach and consultation with various stakeholders, including the Agricultural Advisory Committee, Agricultural Preservation Board, Montgomery County Farm Bureau, Montgomery Agricultural Producers, Montgomery Countryside Alliance, and Sugarloaf Citizens Association.
According to a press release, councilmember Balcombe, who represents District 2 and serves on the economic development and transportation and environment committees, explained that allowing limited camping in the agricultural reserve has two benefits. It provides farmers with a small revenue stream by adding a family-friendly experiential component to their farming business and offers visitors another way to learn about farming and the importance of the AG reserve.
Balcombe emphasized that the drafting process involved taking time to listen to the farmers and communities most impacted by the zoning text amendment and addressing their concerns.
“As a result of our process, I believe the end result offers limited overnight stays in the agricultural reserve, while protecting this very important resource. I appreciate and thank the community for their patience and their strong engagement in helping to draft this legislation. The agriculture reserve is one of our greatest assets and the county has a responsibility to continue protecting this land,” Balcombe said.
Councilmember Luedtke also said that working together with farmers, residents, and other advocates for the agricultural reserve, the zoning change will allow visitors to enjoy the area while balancing the need to preserve land for farming.
“This new measure permits camping, recreational vehicles, and some temporary and removable structures that people can stay in overnight and provides important guardrails to protect against negative environmental impacts,” Luedtke said.
Before this amendment, Montgomery County’s zoning law allowed agricultural properties to have accessory education and tourism activities, such as farm alcohol production, corn mazes, hayrides, and educational tours.
However, certain types of overnight stays were not permitted in many agricultural areas. The new measure expands campground use to the agricultural reserve and rural cluster (RC) zones on properties that meet the farming requirements outlined in the zoning ordinance.
To ensure that agriculture remains the primary activity on these properties and to preserve farmable land, the zoning amendment incorporates additional requirements. These include stipulations on minimum acreage, maximum number of structures, maximum number of nights per guest, and limitations on kitchen and sanitation facilities.
The zoning measure, co-sponsored by council president Andrew Friedson and councilmembers Gabe Albornoz, Evan Glass, and Laurie-Anne Sayles, is set to take effect on August 19.
The council staff report including photos of the types of structures allowed and the ZTAmcan be viewed on the council’s webpage.