Dorchester County, MD
 
By using eCode360 you agree to be legally bound by the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the Terms of Use, please do not use eCode360.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 60: Agricultural Land Preservation
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners of Dorchester County 5-6-80 as Ord. No. 55. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Zoning — See Ch. 155.

§ 60-1 Agricultural preservation districts established; general regulations.

A. 
In accord with statutory provisions[1], agricultural preservation districts may be established in Dorchester County. Such districts shall provide for the protection of normal agricultural activities in the districts through the following provisions:
(1) 
Any farm use of land is permitted, subject to the use, lot and setback requirements of the Dorchester County Zoning Ordinance.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 155, Zoning.
(2) 
Operation at any time of machinery used in farm production or the primary processing of agricultural products is permitted.
(3) 
Normal agricultural activities and operations in accordance with good husbandry practices, which do not cause bodily injury or directly endanger human health, are permitted and preferred activities, including activities which may produce normal agriculturally-related noise and odors, subject to the provisions of the Dorchester County Zoning Ordinance.
(4) 
The sale of farm products produced on the farm where the sales are made is permitted, subject to the provisions of the Dorchester County Zoning Ordinance.
[1]
Editor's Note: See the Agriculture Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, §§ 2-501 through 2-515.
B. 
These provisions are applicable to all Dorchester County agricultural preservation districts established in accord with the Agriculture Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

§ 60-2 Official maps.

Official maps of agricultural preservation districts shall be located at the Dorchester County Planning and Zoning Office and shall be revised from time to time to reflect the establishment, alteration and abolition of agricultural preservation district boundaries. The official maps shall be made current at least once a year by June 30th of each year and shall be published at the same scale as the Department of Assessment and Taxation Tax Maps.

§ 60-3 Notification of district establishment; maintenance of district agreements and property descriptions.

In accord with the Agriculture Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, §§ 2-501 through 2-515, and with Maryland Regulations 15.17.01, agricultural preservation district establishment shall be accomplished by this chapter only upon formal notification to the County Commissioners of Dorchester County by the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation. Such notification shall include a copy of the agricultural preservation district agreement, signed by all parties and as recorded among the land records of Dorchester County. All such district agreements, together with property descriptions, shall be maintained in an official file and be available from the Dorchester County Planning and Zoning Office, County Office Building, P. O. Box 307, Cambridge, Maryland, 21613.