Bill Covering Small Landscaping Businesses In Agriculture Areas Before The Frederick County Council

It’s expected to undergo a public hearing at a future date.Frederick, Md (KM) A public hearing is expected to take place in the future on a bill covering small landscaping businesses in agricultural areas of Frederick County. The legislation, introduced on Tuesday by Councilman Steve McKay, would allow for limited parking and  equipment storage by landscape contractors.McKay said the size of the property would be a minimum of 80,000 square feet, which is less than two acres, and would limit the number of commercial vehicles parked on the property at ten; and only five employees at the site.”We added in subsection E,  a requirement for native landscaping,” he said.”I deleted the fuel storage section entirely just because I think it just helps to simplify things. It recognizes these are smaller parcels. The whole approach was to create a more restrictive use than the current limited landscape contractors,” he continues.No retail operations would be permitted on these properties.Under the current limited landscape contractor in the agriculture district regulations, the there’s a five-acre minimum, and McKay says that creates certain a barrier to entry for smaller businesses.. In the background, he says land is expensive, and the size of a property has nothing to do with the needs of a business. McKay says the his legislation will ” address this issue, and create a more constrained version of the ‘Limited Landscape Contractor.’”McKay introduced the bill recently to the County Council.   A public hearing will be scheduled.By Kevin McManus