The Olney Boys and Girls Club’s two popular holiday fundraising events, Field of Screams and Winter City Lights, are at risk of being cancelled this year as the club works to resolve zoning and permitting issues with Montgomery County.
The club, whose park is located at 4501 Olney Laytonsville Road, faces two actions with the Montgomery County Board of Appeals related to its special exception permit to hold the events, issues with parking and structures used for the events, and traffic complaints, mostly from residents living in the neighborhood, according to appeals board documents.
In addition, the county Department of Permitting Services has issued a notice of violation to the club after receiving complaints about the operating hours, parking and traffic associated with the events, according to department spokesperson Sonya Burke.
One of the appeals board actions is ongoing, while the other is pending based on the outcome of the other case. The club’s focus now is finding an interim solution for the events to take place this year, according to Athletic Director Brad Scott. The opening weekend for Field of Screams is tentatively scheduled for late September.
The club, a staple of Montgomery County sports and recreation since 1970, offers a variety of sports leagues at the recreational and travel levels for children ages 3 to 18. It serves more than 7,000 children annually, according to its website.
Around 300 of those young athletes annually rely on scholarships offered by the club to be able to participate, according to Scott. The scholarships are funded by annual fundraising events such as Field of Screams, a Halloween-themed event, and Winter City lights, a holiday light display. The club contracts with Steelhead Events to run the celebrations.
“We are committed to working with the county to ensure our beloved community events occur in 2025 on an interim basis,” Scott told Bethesda Today in a text statement last week. “The two events are at risk of being cancelled for 2025 if we cannot find an interim year solution with county officials in the coming weeks.”
The complaints
In April of 2024, the club filed a request for a modification to its special exception permit that it has held in some form since 1999 when the fundraising events originated. In July 2024, the appeals board approved following a hearing the club’s modification request to “confirm the placement of existing fundraising structures” and to clarify that the permit include fundraising as an approved part of the club’s use, according to a report on the website of the county Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings.
Following the approval, the appeals board received seven letters requesting it reconsider its decision. A public hearing on the issue was held in February, according to the report.
After the public hearing, the hearing examiner determined the club’s approved modification made a substantial change to the nature of its existing special exception permit that would adversely impact traffic, leading to a second hearing in April in front of the appeals board.
At that hearing, the board heard testimony from lawyers representing the club, Kevin McLaren speaking for Steelhead Events, and lawyers representing community members Caroline Taylor and Nikki Korson, who opposed the club’s application for a modification, according to the report.
Taylor claimed that Field of Screams used to exist in balance with the agricultural community in Olney, but that balance has been lost as the event has grown in popularity, according to the report. The park is located in Montgomery County ‘s Agricultural Reserve and subjected to zoning rules governing what activities can occur in that part of the county, according to the county website.
Korson, who said she spoke on behalf of local community members, referred to the fundraising events as an “amusement park” and “questioned whether those in charge of [the club] understand what they’re doing,” according to the hearing report. Korson raised a variety of issues, questioning whether the club was prepared for emergencies with the growing number of people attending the events and saying the events caused lengthy traffic jams on local roads, according to the report.
After arguments from both sides, the appeals board hearing examiner recommended that the board revoke the club’s permit modification, according to the report. The club was required to resubmit its modification request, detailing the hours of operation, number of employees, parking plan, and each structure used for its events. Additionally, the examiner recommended that another public hearing be held to discuss the structures as well as the extent of the fundraising at the club’s park.
According to Burke, the county Department of Permitting Services notified the appeals board that the club was violating its special exception permit. Department action on the violation notice is on hold until the issues raised in the appeals board hearing are resolved, she said.
Scott said the club is preparing to re-file its modification application with the appeals board. However, the club is hoping to reach an agreement with the county on an interim solution so Field of Screams and Winter City Lights can be held later this year, he said.
