The Queen Anne's County Planning Commission voted Dec. 11 to amend the Meadow Creek declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions (ATE-25-10-0013) to remove Lot 6, a 32.067-acre parcel, from the covenants so the contract purchaser may use the property for small-scale agricultural purposes.

Counsel Lindsay Ryan explained the code requires any amendment to recorded covenants governing a major subdivision to come before the commission. Genevieve McFarland, representing the contract purchaser, said the parcel is in an agricultural comprehensive plan area and a priority preservation area and that the purchaser intends to build a single-family home and keep horses for their children. McFarland said the revised deed would leave other subdivision design features (street-tree requirements, septic setbacks) in place while removing the livestock prohibition.

Commissioners debated precedent and potential future uses such as solar arrays or subdivision of the large parcel. Several commissioners asked whether a more targeted covenant amendment (permitting livestock only) would better protect future lot buyers; staff and the applicant said removing Lot 6 is practical given its size and shape and that the lot will remain subject to the subdivision plat requirements.

The commission approved the amendment subject to a condition that Lot 6 record a superseding deed in Queen Anne's County land records subjecting Lot 6 to required subdivision elements recorded at SM 3714 and that copies of the recorded deed be provided to the Department of Planning prior to issuance of building permits for Lot 6. The motion carried with commissioners voting 'Aye'; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.