§ 2-513. Use of land under easement
West's Annotated Code of MarylandAgricultureEffective: October 1, 2018
Effective: October 1, 2018
MD Code, Agriculture, § 2-513
§ 2-513. Use of land under easement
(a) Agricultural land preservation easements may be purchased under this subtitle for any land in agricultural use which meets the minimum criteria established under § 2-509 of this subtitle if the easement and county regulations governing the use of the land include the following provisions:
(b)(1) A landowner whose land is subject to an easement may not use the land for any commercial, industrial, or residential purpose except:
(2) Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (7) of this subsection, on written application, the Foundation shall release free of easement restrictions only for the landowner who originally sold an easement, 1 acre or less for the purpose of constructing a dwelling house for the use only of that landowner or child of the landowner, up to a maximum of three lots, subject to the following conditions:
(v) Before any conveyance or release, the landowner and the child, if there is a conveyance to a child, shall agree not to subdivide further for residential purposes any acreage allowed to be released. The agreement shall be recorded among the land records where the land is located and shall bind all future owners.
D. If the lot is not used for the person or purpose for which it was released for the 5-year period, the Foundation may require the lot owner to reconvey the lot to the owner of the land encumbered by the easement from which it was released and subject the lot to the restrictions of the easement; and
(5)(i) After obtaining approval for the construction of a tenant house under paragraph (4) of this subsection, a landowner may, instead of constructing a new tenant house, convert an existing dwelling house into a tenant house and construct one replacement dwelling house restricted to the landowner's own use, subject to the conditions provided under subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph.
(6) Except as provided in paragraph (7) of this subsection, on request to the Foundation, an owner may exclude from the easement restrictions 1 acre per each single dwelling, which existed at the time of the sale of the easement, as an owner's, children's, or unrestricted lot to which the owner is entitled under paragraph (2) of this subsection, by a land survey and recordation provided at the expense of the owner. However, before any exclusion is granted, an owner shall agree with the Foundation not to subdivide further for residential purposes any acreage allowed to be released. This agreement shall be recorded among the land records where the land is located and shall bind all future owners.
1. As determined by the Department of the Environment in accordance with regulations adopted by the Department of the Environment in areas where there is less than 4 feet of unsaturated and unconsolidated soil material below the bottom of an on-site sewage disposal system or in areas located within 2,500 feet of the normal water level of an existing or proposed water supply reservoir; or
(ii) The Foundation may authorize a landowner to erect and display on land subject to an easement under this subtitle a sign or any other outdoor advertising display measuring not more than 4 feet by 4 feet for the purpose of providing any other information consistent with the purposes of the Foundation.
(2) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, any easement approved for purchase by the Board of Public Works after June 30, 2014, shall authorize the landowner to request approval, with a favorable recommendation of the local agricultural advisory board and if not prohibited by federal, State, and local laws and regulations, to use the land subject to the easement for the generation of electricity by a facility utilizing an authorized renewable energy source provided that:
(3) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, a written request of a landowner, with a favorable recommendation of the local agricultural advisory board and if not prohibited by federal, State, and local laws, may be approved by the Foundation to amend an existing easement to authorize the landowner to use the land subject to the easement for the generation of electricity by a facility utilizing an authorized renewable energy source provided that:
(6) A facility owner who uses land subject to an easement for the generation of electricity in accordance with this subsection shall, on operation of the facility, remit an annual payment of 5% of any lease payment paid to the landowner to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Fund under § 2-505 of this subtitle.
(d)(1) In this subsection, “special occasion event” means a wedding, lifetime milestone event, or other cultural or social event.
(e) Purchase of an easement by the Foundation does not grant the public any right of access or right of use of the subject property.
(f) An agricultural land preservation easement purchased under this subtitle shall be included as part of a partnership under the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program established under 10 U.S.C. § 2684a if:
Credits
Added by Acts 1977, c. 883. Amended by Acts 1981, c. 347; Acts 1982, c. 613; Acts 1987, c. 65; Acts 1988, c. 507; Acts 1989, c. 465; Acts 1994, c. 683, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1994; Acts 1996, c. 624, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1996; Acts 1997, c. 14, § 1, eff. April 8, 1997; Acts 1997, c. 467, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, c. 258, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, c. 278, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2003; Acts 2004, c. 374, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; Acts 2004, c. 498, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; Acts 2006, c. 76, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2006; Acts 2006, c. 174, § 1, eff. July 1, 2006; Acts 2008, c. 105, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2008; Acts 2009, c. 150, § 1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2009, c. 536, § 1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2010, c. 72, § 1, eff. April 13, 2010; Acts 2012, c. 35, § 1, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2012 c. 180, § 1, eff. June 30, 2012; Acts 2013, c. 108, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013; Acts 2014, c. 287, § 1, eff. July 1, 2014; Acts 2016, c. 8, § 1, eff. March 14, 2016; Acts 2017, c. 394, § 1, eff. June 1, 2017; Acts 2018, c. 66, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2018; Acts 2018, c. 492, § 1, eff. June 1, 2018; Acts 2018, c. 644, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2018.
MD Code, Agriculture, § 2-513, MD AGRIC § 2-513
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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