The city of Baltimore will donate 11 acres in Catonsville to Baltimore County to preserve for recreational and open space, under an agreement approved Tuesday.
Baltimore County Council members unanimously signed off on accepting the $110,000 property, which is on Maple Avenue near Frederick and Rolling roads. NeighborSpace, a group that works to preserve open space within the county's urban areas, will protect the land from development.
"Open space helps protect and increase property values," said Councilman Tom Quirk, a Catonsville Democrat who helped work out the agreement. "It helps with health, when people hike and walk in open space … Not every acre should be developed into a home or building."
Also Tuesday, the council unanimously elected Councilwoman Vicki Almond to serve as chairwoman in 2012. The Reisterstown Democrat is the first woman to lead the council since 1983.
