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Agriculture: Current Code Proposed Code

Montgomery County, Maryland has a strong agricultural history. In 1980, the County created the 93,000 acre Agricultural Reserve to protect farmland, which makes up a third of the county's land. The current zoning code broadly allows "agricultural uses" but does not provide clarity. The proposed new code aims to provide clearer definitions of uses like crop and livestock farms to appropriately scale agriculture in each zone, while also allowing urban farms and community gardens in more residential areas. It establishes setback requirements for accessory structures that house animals.

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20 views1 page

Agriculture: Current Code Proposed Code

Montgomery County, Maryland has a strong agricultural history. In 1980, the County created the 93,000 acre Agricultural Reserve to protect farmland, which makes up a third of the county's land. The current zoning code broadly allows "agricultural uses" but does not provide clarity. The proposed new code aims to provide clearer definitions of uses like crop and livestock farms to appropriately scale agriculture in each zone, while also allowing urban farms and community gardens in more residential areas. It establishes setback requirements for accessory structures that house animals.

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Planning Docs
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Agriculture

Montgomery County has a strong agricultural heritage and farming continues to be an important part of the Countys physical and cultural landscape. In 1980, the County Council made one of the most significant landuse decisions in County history by creating the Agricultural Reserve, which encompasses 93,000 acres almost a full third of the Countys land resources along the countys northern and western borders. The Agricultural Reserve and its accompanying Master Plan and zoning elements were designed to protect farmland and agriculture. The new zoning code will maintain the existing zoning protections afforded to the Agricultural Reserve in addition to creating opportunities for urban agriculture in down county areas.

Current Code
Agricultural Reserve Zone: RDT (Rural Density Transfer). Any type of farming is allowed in this zone. Uses: The broad, vague category of agricultural uses are allowed in all agricultural and single family residential zones. This use allows for most types of farming activity, including the keeping of any type of farm animals in any of these zones. However, in single family zones, a structure to house farm animals must be 25 from a lot line and 100 from a dwelling on another lot or parcel, making it impossible for many residents to have a chicken coop.

Proposed Code
Agricultural Reserve Zone: AC (Agricultural Conservation) is substantively the same as RDT. Uses: New uses are designed to provide clarity and to encourage the appropriate scale of agriculture in each zone. Crop Farm: Growing and harvesting of produce and other plant-bases agricultural products . Allowed in agricultural, rural and certain residential zones. Livestock Farm: Keeping and raising of livestock. Allowed in agricultural and rural zones. Urban Farm: Cultivation of plants and limited raising of fowl or bees. Allowed in C/R, employment and certain residential zones. Community Garden: Land gardened by a group of people for personal use or limited distribution. Allowed in most zones. Animal Husbandry: Accessory practice of breeding and raising small animals, fowl and bees. Accessory structures for housing animals or fowl must be behind rear building line and 25 from rear and side property line. Allowed in most zones.

ProposalbasedonNovember22,2011 ZAPReviewDraft

www.zoningmontgomery.org

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