It’s taken over two years but it now appears that the Harbins Farm Stand in Ellicott City has finally won the zoning exemption they needed to stay in business. The issue arose when the farm that was once attached to the stand was sold to a developer. Without a farm, the farm stand became a zoning violation.
According to this story by Jessica Anderson in The Sun, this exemption “could have implications for future farm stand zoning decisions.”
In other words, a farm stand in HoCo may no longer need to be part of a farm.
“Before, produce stands were "only an accessory to farming," said Cindy Hamilton, chief, public service and zoning administration division in Howard. But now, she said the county might see more similar applications for conditional use as farmers become more enticed to sell off their land.”
As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
