For four generations, the Gerst family has farmed the fertile fields of rural Perry Hall. It is the only life Lawrence Gerst has known, and even at an age when many would be looking to retire, he has no intention of stopping.
But he may have no choice.
Baltimore County officials, in what apparently would be an unprecedented move, are seeking to condemn his land and use it as the centerpiece park in the planned community of Honeygo.
"Why should Baltimore County try to run us off this land?" asked Gerst, walking the fields that have been in his family for more than a century.
"If they can take your whole livelihood away from you, I don't see how you can call it a free country."
County officials say they have made Gerst and his brother, Charles, a fair offer: more than $1 million for the 47-acre parcel.
And they say it is crucial that they purchase parkland before development in Honeygo, which will have more than 4,000 homes, limits their choices - and drives prices skyward.
The county, willing to spend more than $4 million on parks for Honeygo, already has bought one smaller parcel for a community park, has a contract to buy another property and is negotiating for still more.
Officials are determined to own the Gerst property because it is seen as the logical spot for a large complex of ball fields that would serve not only Honeygo but parts of White Marsh and Perry Hall - areas suffering from a severe shortage of recreational facilities.
"What we're going to do is make sure the property is acquired in any way we can, including condemnation," said Vincent J. Gardina, a Democratic county councilman who represents Perry Hall and the Honeygo area.
"While I'm sensitive to the concerns of the Gerst family, we have to look at the greater good of the community. You're talking about preserving it as a park forever."
A County Council resolution that would approve the start of condemnation proceedings is scheduled to be heard Feb. 17.
If the condemnation is contested, a judge would decide whether the land could be condemned and, if so, how much compensation the property owners would receive.
While property frequently has been condemned for road projects, county officials say they can recall no other case where land has been condemned for a park.
The Gerst property is a vestige of Baltimore County's rural past in the heart of its suburban future. The parcel is minutes from intense suburban development, yet it is set amid farmland settled more than a century ago by German immigrants.
