For Immediate Release: Friday, July 25, 2025
Committees will receive a briefing about agrotourism and an update on troubled properties; review a measure to amend conditional use provisions for landscape contractors and legislation to amend County law on forest conservation and exempt landscape professionals from the gas-powered leaf blower ban during certain months of the year
Briefing: The ECON Committee will receive a briefing about agrotourism in the state and County. During the briefing, representatively from the Maryland Department of Agriculture will preview a report that will be released this fall that will provide statewide guidance for value-added agriculture and agritourism. Representatives from the Maryland Department of Commerce will provide information about a new study commissioned through House Bill 1228 , which requires the Department of Commerce to study economic development and the tourist and visitor economy of the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, known as the Ag Reserve. Representatives from the Montgomery County Planning Department will provide an update on the 2019 Study on Agritourism . In addition, representatives of Visit Montgomery will present on the organization’s Brand Rural Montgomery project, which aims to increase civic pride, promote agritourism and spur rural economic development.
The Ag Reserve was established in 1980 with the adoption of the Preservation of Agriculture and Rural Open Space Functional Master Plan . The Ag Reserve comprises approximately 93,000 acres, which is nearly a third of the County’s land. The purpose of the Ag Reserve is to promote agriculture as the primary land use in areas of the County designated for agricultural preservation in the General Plan, the Functional Master Plan for Preservation of Agriculture and Rural Open Space, and other current or future master plans.
Advertisement
Update: The PHP Committee will receive an update on troubled properties from representatives of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA). The update will include information about the troubled property process, including preliminary data which will be included in the final FY25 troubled property report that is expected to be released this fall. A troubled property is a multifamily rental property with numerous or severe health and safety housing code violations.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 25-08, Exemptions – Landscape Contractor
Review: The PHP Committee will review ZTA 25-08, Exemptions – Landscape Contractor, which would allow landscape contractors in the Rural Cluster (RC) Zone, who have expanded their footprint beyond what was otherwise permissible, to maintain their grandfathered status if the property owner returns the total square footage of onsite operations to what existed as of Oct. 30, 2014. Under the current Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance, conditional use approval is required if the total square footage of the on-site operation of a landscape contractor use in the RC Zone is expanded or enlarged. ZTA 25-08 will amend this grandfathering provision so that conditional use approval is not required unless more than one violation notice has been issued.
The lead sponsor of ZTA 25-08 is Councilmember Kristin Mink.
Bill 18-25, Forest Conservation – Trees
Review: The TE Committee will review Bill 18-25, Forest Conservation – Trees, which would define a solar photovoltaic facility as an area containing the footprint of ground-mounted or freestanding solar energy generation equipment that is approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission and remove afforestation requirements for such facilities. In addition, the bill would add new categories to the priorities of forest retention, reinstate forest mitigation banks that protect existing forests and remove significant trees from Tree Save Plan requirements. The bill is needed to align the County Code with the changes made to the state’s forest conservation law.
Advertisement
The lead sponsor is the Council President at the request of the Planning Board.
Expedited Bill 19-25, Noise Control – Leaf Removal Equipment – Seasonal Exemption
Review: The TE Committee will review Expedited Bill 19-25, Noise Control – Leaf Removal Equipment – Seasonal Exemption, which would provide an exemption for landscape professionals to use gas-powered leaf blower equipment during certain months of the year and set a sunset date for the seasonal exemption. The proposed three-month exemption would run from Oct. 1 until Dec. 31 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The exemption would sunset three years after the bill is enacted. The purpose of Expedited Bill 19-25 is to provide a seasonal exemption for landscape professionals to the ban on gas-powered leaf blower equipment that began on July 1, 2025.
The lead sponsor of Bill 19-25 is Councilmember Gabe Albornoz. Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Balcombe and Sidney Katz are cosponsors of Bill 19-25.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website .
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream .
Release ID: 25-267
Media Contact: Sonya Healy 240-777-7926, Benjamin Sky Brandt 240-777-7884
For updates and link to press release, see here: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=47417