County councilmembers approved an agritourism zoning measure Tuesday to allow overnight stays at farms in the county’s Agricultural Reserve and rural areas.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 24-02 allows campground use on Ag Reserve and Rural Cluster properties that meet requirements for farming in the county’s Zoning Ordinance, according to council documents. There would be additional requirements for properties like minimum acreage and a maximum number of structures.
It takes effect Aug. 19, a council release states.
Last week councilmembers voted during committee session to move the measure to full council with amendments.
Council President Andrew Friedson said last week that the aim “is to provide property owners with an additional way to promote and conduct agritourism without overburdening the agricultural reserve and our agricultural land.”
The measure was introduced in June with lead sponsors Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Dawn Luedtke, Sidney Katz and Natali Fani-González.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, Balcombe said limited camping in the Ag Reserve will do two important things: “First, it allows farmers the opportunity to have small additional revenue stream and it adds family-friendly experiential component to the farm.” Second, it provides visitors another way to learn more about farming and the importance of the Ag Reserve, she said.
Balcombe noted the community shared concerns, “and I know that many of you would have preferred that this ZTA not go forward, and I particularly want to thank you for your grace and willingness to work with us to come up with a compromise that I believe will offer limited overnight stays while protecting this very important resource.”
Fani-González said actions like this measure reflect that the county is evolving.
Councilmember Evan Glass said, “I know this is going to work out well, and we’re going to have a lot more people loving the Ag Reserve because of it.”
A similar measure was introduced in November last year by Fani-González. It did not proceed beyond public hearing due to “substantial” community pushback, according to council documents, and the current measure is a follow-up.
Balcombe said she appreciates Fani-González starting the conversation. In a written statement following the vote, Fani-González said, “The zoning change we approved today is consistent with my original goals, and I am happy to have worked with Councilmembers Luedtke and Balcombe to strike a reasonable compromise.”
