Calleva

S.C.A’s. Position Statement 
S.C.A. usually opposes zoning text amendments (ZTA) to the Agriculture Reserve because we do not believe in spot zoning.  A ZTA is a proposal requesting the Montgomery County Council to approve a measure that is not automatically permitted under the zoning laws of the County. Calleva, Inc. is asking for special permission to be the only organization that can offer overnight camping and other non-permitted activities in the Ag Reserve. While SCA admires many of the educational programs offered by Calleva to young people, our position is that these activities must comply with the regulations established to protect the Agricultural Reserve. We oppose any special arrangements to circumvent the agricultural purposes of the Reserve and we certainly do not believe Calleva deserves this right given the history of the operation since it moved to area in 1995.  

Background Information.  Calleva
Alex Markoff took possession of a small farm on Martinsburg Road in the Agriculture Reserve sometime in 1995 or 1996 with the intent to purchase it for use by Calleva, Inc. Calleva was an outdoor education and recreation organization with other property in the region. Markoff approached County Council member, Nancy Dacek with his plan for using the property for a camp. He was informed that a camp was not permitted by right or allowed by special exception in the RCT zone and a ZTA to have a camp was unlikely. Since that time, he bought the land and has tried over the years to get a ZTA approved to allow camps and over night camping at his property in the Agriculture Reserve. S.C.A. believes that opening the door for Calleva to have camps and overnight accommodations of a large number of visitors will invite other proposals for camp facilities, lodges, and even motels within the boundaries of the Ag Reserve. Because of this threat to the integrity of the Agriculture Reserve, we will continue to urge the County Council to turn down any requested amendment to the zoning law.

Summary of Action

• S.C.A., in 1997, opposed with legal counsel a special exception permit for Calleva to have a commercial riding stable because it was clear from the record that a camp was what was really being attempted. We won an appeal to the Montgomery County Board of Appeals to deny the special exception because of this record.

• S.C.A., in 2004, opposed Mr. Markoffs request for a special exception before the Board of Appeals for the operation of his camp under what was described as a “child day care center” facility. It took the S.C.A. representative, a year of legal work which resulted in our filing a Motion to Dismiss this special exception for it was another attempt to legalize camp use. 

• In 2005, Mr. Markoff proposed a new ZTA adding a definition of “outdoor education facility” to be allowed in the RDT Zone.  After some dialogue between Mr. Markoff and S.C.A., the Board of Directors of S.C.A. declined to support the ZTA. or a special exception. At this time, pending S.C.A.’s Motion to Dismiss, Mr. Markoff through his counsel withdrew the petition.

• In May-June, 2007, the Markoff  Property and “Camp Calleva” were advertised as part of the Great American Camp Out providing overnight camping accommodations to the public. On June 25, 2007, “Calleva, Inc.,” through Mr. Markoff, was served with a notice of violation of the Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance by the Department of Permitting Services, Municipal Infraction No. 3Z33917222, for the unlawful operation of a camp ground in the RDT Zone.

• In the fall of 2007, Mr. Markoff sent S.C.A. a draft ZTA to allow camping and overnight camping as an “Outdoor Education Facility.” The S.C.A. Board met with the Mr. Markoff, members of his family and parents of Calleva campers at a S.C.A. Board meeting. After much consideration and legal advice, S.C.A. Board rejected any ZTA allowing camping and overnight accommodations in the Ag Reserve.

• In the spring of 2010, S.C.A. was informed that Calleva, Inc. was working on another ZTA draft to allow camping and overnight camping in the Agriculture Reserve.

• June 11, 2010,  S.C.A. devoted its monthly newsletter in the Monocacy Monocle to express our concerns for Calleva’s neglect of zoning laws in the Agriculture Reserve.
  

• June 25, 2010, Alex Markoff, the Director of Calleva wrote an open letter to the Monocacy Monocle and the Poolesville community in response to the S.C.A. newsletter stating the many positive things Calleva is contributing to the community.

• July 16th, 2010, S.C.A. responded in both a Letter to the Editor detailing some of our long legal history with Calleva. We called on the County Council to protect the integrity of the Agriculture Reserve by not allowing any ZTA that permits overnight accommodations in the Agriculture Reserve. Furthermore, we call on the Permitting Office to site any zoning violations in the Agriculture Reserve. We also devoted our July Newsletter to the dangers created by spot zoning to the overall protection of the Reserve as a place for farmers to produce food and fiber.