The Gloucester County Planning Commission discussed a possible code amendment to allow wayside stands during a meeting Feb. 2 in the colonial courthouse. Planning director Anne Ducey-Ortiz said Monday that the commission took no vote and plans to discuss the matter further at its March 1 meeting.

If the commission decides to support such a code amendment, Ducey-Ortiz said a public hearing would be scheduled.

The Gloucester Board of Supervisors has asked the commission to provide a recommendation for a code amendment to allow wayside stands as special exceptions in certain residential districts, she said.

In a Jan. 19 memorandum, Ducey-Ortiz said that, based on the county’s desire to preserve rural character, "staff feels that wayside stands may be appropriate in residentially zoned areas that are currently used for agriculture." Agriculture is not listed as a permitted use in the Suburban Countryside (SC-1) district; however, Ducey-Ortiz said "a large proportion of the SC-1 zoned property west of Route 17 between Providence Road and Adner is currently in farm/agricultural use.

"It seems appropriate to consider (as a special exception, where each case can be reviewed individually) allowing these farms to sell their produce on-site when those farms legally exist in a residential district," she said.

The code amendment would cover stands to sell vegetables and fruits, Ducey-Ortiz, with the commission to decide if other products such as seafood can also be sold at these stands.

On a separate matter, planner Emily Gibson gave a presentation about the future land use chapter of the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which is being revised. Ducey-Ortiz said that future land use and goals chapters for the plan will be discussed at the commission’s March meeting.