Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Dawn Luedtke, Sidney Katz and Natali Fani-González introduced the measure following thorough community outreach and consultation with the Agricultural Advisory Committee, Agricultural Preservation Board, Montgomery County Farm Bureau, Montgomery Agricultural Producers, Montgomery Countryside Alliance, Sugarloaf Citizens Association and residents. Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA 24-02), Agricultural and Rural Zones – Campground, incorporates careful and deliberate feedback from more than 60 residents, agricultural operators and advocates for the Agricultural Reserve.

“This proposed ZTA is a result of a lot of hard work and collaboration with community stakeholders on both sides of the issue to find a balance approached to allowing overnight stays on farms,” Councilmember Balcombe said. “This zoning amendment will continue our mandate to preserve the Agricultural Reserve for farming, while creating a pathway for our residents and visitors from outside the County to enjoy and explore one of our County’s greatest assets.” 

“Working together with farmers, residents and other advocates for the Agricultural Reserve, we’re proposing a way to allow visitors to enjoy this special place while balancing the need to preserve land for farming,” Councilmember Luedtke said. “We envision allowing camping, recreational vehicles, and some temporary and removable structures that people can stay in overnight with important guardrails to protect against negative environmental impacts.” 

Under the County’s existing zoning law, agricultural properties can have accessory education and tourism activities, such as farm alcohol production (wineries, farm breweries, cideries and distilleries), corn mazes, hayrides, educational tours, classes and workshops, among other activities; however, some types of overnight stays are not allowed in many agricultural areas. 

Campgrounds are currently allowed only in Rural (R) and Residential Estate 2C (RE-2C) zones. The new zoning measure would expand the Campground use to the Agricultural Reserve (AR) and Rural Cluster (RC) zones on properties that satisfy the requirements for farming in the zoning ordinance. 

“The Ag Reserve is very special and unique to our County, preserving land for farming while also encouraging people to explore the natural beauty of this area,” Councilmember Katz said. “This ZTA, through thoughtful collaboration with the Ag Reserve community, offers the ability to more thoroughly engage in farm activities and enjoy our open space on an extended basis through overnight stays.” 

“Last November, I introduced a zoning text amendment that allows interested farmers to host overnight farm stays as part of their agritourism activities,” said Fani-González, who chairs the Economic Development Committee. “For years, some local farmers have expressed serious interest in expanding their agritourism business with overnight stays. They want to provide an authentic, rustic, hands-on experience for guests to their farms and just as importantly, generate a new revenue stream in the face of increased costs and unpredictable markets. This new zoning text amendment is consistent with those goals, and I am excited to help push it forward.” 

Additional requirements are incorporated into the zoning amendment to preserve farmable land and ensure agriculture remains the true, primary activity for these properties. These requirements include a minimum acreage, a maximum number of structures, a maximum number of nights per guest, and limitations on kitchen and sanitation facilities. 

View the staff report here.