Rural landowners that want to subdivide their properties to build houses for their children spoke at a County Council hearing last week against proposed legislation to change the provision that allows it.
“We have trusted the county and planned accordingly, never thinking that the county would call into question its long-standing interpretation of the law,” said Joanne Weber, who owns a farm in Boyds. “We do not fit the mold of a developer or [have] a large parcel of land. Our property rights are what we are defending.”
Some environmentalists, however, say the child lot provision has been abused and spoke in favor of the proposal to strengthen it.