Updated April 6, 2024
An outpouring of concern and outright opposition ensued. At a December 6, 2023 public forum on the proposal—sponsored by SCA and Montgomery Countryside Alliance (MCA)—the majority of some 75 attendees questioned the rationale, scope, and potential impact of the measure. The general sentiment was that the proposal would undermine farming and the basic tenets of the Ag Reserve—which seek to preserve and foster farming and prevent commercial and non-farm related development on arable farmland. It could also lead to a land grab by developers, and increases in land costs that would price farmers out of the market, many residents said.
The majority of about 60 people testifying at a January 16 public hearing on the proposal—sponsored by the County Council—voiced similar objections. On major one: Ms. Gonzalez had not consulted with her colleagues on the Council who represent the Ag Reserve (Marilyn Balcombe and Dawn Luedtke) nor had she spoken with key Ag Reserve stakeholders including farm groups, farmers and landowners.
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