Frederick County bill would explicitly allow sea-container sales in commercial zones

A Frederick County Council member is proposing a zoning change that would explicitly allow businesses to sell shipping containers in certain commercial areas.

Bill 26-12, sponsored by Council Member Mason Carter, would add the sale of sea containers to permitted uses in the county’s General Commercial zoning district. The county’s official bill list shows the measure was introduced Sept. 15 and is scheduled for a public hearing on Oct. 6.

Carter said the proposal is intended to resolve uncertainty in the zoning code after questions affected Q3 Storage Containers, a local family business on Fish Hatchery Road.

At a council workshop, Carter said shipping containers are already sold as commercial products but the zoning code does not clearly identify that activity as a permitted use.

Local business raised the issue

Pat Quynn, whose sons own Q3, told the council that the company provides storage containers to businesses, nonprofits and private customers.

She said the company received a zoning violation notice in 2024. According to her testimony, the case was later dismissed in district court for lack of evidence, but the dispute created disruption for the business.

Quynn argued that shipping containers have become a common part of modern commerce and that county zoning should explicitly recognize their outdoor sale.

What does silence in the code mean?

Part of the council discussion focused on what happens when the zoning code does not specifically list a particular use.

Council Member Steve McKay asked whether something that is not expressly prohibited could still be allowed.

Assistant County Attorney Catherine Keller responded that, generally, if a use is not identified as permitted, it is not considered allowable.

That distinction is central to Carter’s proposal.

Rather than leaving businesses and county staff to interpret silence in the code, the bill would explicitly identify sea-container sales as an allowed activity in General Commercial zones.

What are the containers used for?

Council members also discussed the variety of ways shipping containers are used.

Carter said they are commonly used for storage throughout Frederick County and the surrounding region.

Council President Brad Young noted that Urbana High School has used a container as part of a batting-cage setup and that some jurisdictions have explored converting shipping containers into small homes.

Carter emphasized that his bill is focused on commercial sales, not establishing shipping containers as residences.

The official county legislative page identifies the measure as Bill 26-12 — Sale of Sea Containers, with Carter as the sponsor and an Oct. 6 public hearing scheduled at Winchester Hall.