Land Preservation

While bulldozers moved earth in the background, more than 100 people crowded into a tent in Middle River on Thursday to celebrate the rebirth of a 17-acre site on Baltimore County's east side. The county has razed a crime-ridden apartment complex and brokered a partnership to build Renaissance Square, a community that promises affordable homes to seniors and working families. Officials, developers, clergy and former Kingsley Park residents extolled the project, which includes 81 apartments for seniors and 115 homes, many of them priced for moderate-income families.

TODAY Ag resource center -- The Baltimore County Agricultural Resource Center and Farm Park Steering Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. at Maryland Cooperative Extension, 1840 York Road, Suite J, Timonium. 410-887-3514. Ag board meeting -- The Baltimore County Agricultural Land Preservation Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. to discuss properties that will be under consideration for land preservation at Maryland Cooperative Extension, 1840 York Road, Suite J, Timonium, to discuss consultant work on the Agricultural Lands Priority Study.

Harford County officials proposed an agricultural land tax credit yesterday intended to spur interest in saving farmland and help those who already have acreage in the preservation program. The credit would increase from $35 to $50 per acre, saving the average landowner about $1,000 annually in property taxes. More than 550 Harford farms would qualify for the incentive. "This is all about making Harford affordable for people who already live here," County Executive David R. Craig said yesterday, when he announced the proposal in Churchville.

Anne Arundel officials are on the verge of securing the development rights to nearly 400 acres of Lothian farmland, shoring up efforts by County Executive John R. Leopold to preserve large agricultural tracts and other open space early in his administration. The County Council last week approved spending as much as $1.9 million to buy the rights on parcels of 84 acres and 107 acres, both of which could remain as working farms as part of an installment purchase program. The council also backed efforts to appraise a third farm of 185 acres that would be preserved through a joint county-state program.

Land preservation seminar planned The Harford County Department of Planning and Zoning will hold an Agricultural Land Preservation Seminar from 8 a.m. to noon March 30 at Highland Presbyterian Church, 701 Highland Road in Street. The speakers will be David Thompson, chairman of the Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board; Bill Amoss, administrator for the Harford County Agricultural Preservation Program; Jay Young, an attorney with Brown, Brown & Young; and Brian Lutters, a certified public accountant with Clifton Gunderson LLP. Topics will include county rural land-use goals, land preservation easement options, partnerships with land trusts, land preservation and estate planning; and land preservation income tax tools.

As part of an effort to make county laws more user-friendly, the county commissioners invited residents last night to voice their opinions on a batch of ordinances regulating everything from the cost of a marriage license to the preservation of farmland.One resident spoke.During a brief workshop at the county office building, James Harris, a Westminster landscaper, suggested several changes to the county's forest conservation law.The law requires developers to preserve or plant trees on part of the land used for construction.

Land preservation is a valuable legacy for our descendantsI was pleased to learn of the aggressive work of Baltimore County's two-year-old agricultural preservation program in its tentative purchase of development rights of portions of three farms (''Keeping open space open,'' Dec. 30).When approved, it will bring the total of protected land to about 4 percent of the county's area, almost 95 percent of that obtained by the state's established preservation program. I think the cost of $2,000 to $3,000 an acre is well-spent, especially going to deserving families in a tough occupation who could receive more by selling out to development.

Friends and family members remember former western Howard County resident Adelaide Close Riggs as a woman who appreciated the beauty of her 489-acre horse farm in Daisy.She loved it so much, they say, she offered 283 acres as an environmental easement in December 1994, in part to eliminate any prospect that it would be developed.Since her death Dec. 31, developers, county officials and residents alike have wondered whether her land partner, Dr. Michael Cavey, would grant an easement on his 206 acres or become one of the many neighboring property owners to develop this traditionally rural part of the county.

The $750,000 in state Rural Legacy money awarded to Carroll County on Tuesday was among the smallest amount any county received, but it's also $750,000 more than local officials expected.The money will ensure that the county can buy easements to all of the land in its highest-priority area around New Windsor and along Little Pipe Creek, said William Powel, who oversees the county's land preservation efforts.The Rural Legacy program is designed to preserve blocks of land with historic, environmental and agricultural significance that might otherwise not be saved by the state's existing land preservation programs.

Eight years old and 40 members strong, the Carroll County Land Trust hopes to post its first milestone this year -- preserving 1,000 acres of rich, historic land from rapid sprawl.The nonprofit group, which operates from the home of a former Carroll planning director, has joined forces with the county's Agricultural Land Preservation Program in a goal to save 100,000 acres from development.Members will soon embark on a fund-raising campaign that features an old-fashioned "road show" depicting slides of bucolic Carroll farms threatened by bulldozers.

Leash-law fines spark controversy Below is a sampling of comments on the city's leash-law debate from www.baltimoresun.com/unleashed What still really gets to me is that the City Council claims that the fines were a mistake ("City panel votes to cut $1,000 leash-law fine," May 13). If we assume they are telling the truth (pretty large assumption in my opinion, but I digress) then we have to call into question their competence. I understand mistakes happen. However, you can't approve a bill and not look into how this may affect people.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has announced approval of conservation easements that will preserve a 70-acre property in the county. The Board of Public Works approved four easements statewide, totaling 460 acres, including Anne Arundel County's South Rural Legacy Area. The Anne Arundel easement, which preserves 24 acres of woodland and 40 acres of cropland near the border of Calvert County, will be held by the county. The South County property is part of a farmland base that produces corn and soybeans.

While bulldozers moved earth in the background, more than 100 people crowded into a tent in Middle River on Thursday to celebrate the rebirth of a 17-acre site on Baltimore County's east side. The county has razed a crime-ridden apartment complex and brokered a partnership to build Renaissance Square, a community that promises affordable homes to seniors and working families. Officials, developers, clergy and former Kingsley Park residents extolled the project, which includes 81 apartments for seniors and 115 homes, many of them priced for moderate-income families.

County officials are encouraging residents to submit comments on a draft of the General Development Plan, the final version of which is to be completed later this year. The land-use plan, which is required by the state, is revised every decade. The plan is meant to serve as a guide for county growth and development during next 10 to 20 years. The more than 200-page draft addresses several topics, including land use and development policy, priority preservation areas, transportation and water resources.

State officials are expected today to approve buying one of the largest privately owned forests on the Eastern Shore, despite complaints from some that government should not spend money on land preservation during a budget crisis. At least two of the three members of the state Board of Public Works indicated yesterday that they support spending $14.4 million to buy nearly 4,800 wooded acres in Worcester County that natural resources officials say harbor a wealth of rare plants, birds and animals.

Keeping open space away from developers Last week, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced plans to protect more than 9,000 acres of environmentally significant land that will be made available to Maryland residents ("State plans to preserve 9,200 acres," Dec. 4). Some may wonder whether, given the current economic climate, this is the appropriate time for such a move. It absolutely is. We should not wait for real estate prices to peak again to purchase and protect such jewels. Waiting would ultimately waste state resources.

In a move hailed by conservation leaders, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced plans yesterday to buy five large tracts of forest, farmland and waterfront for more than $71 million to preserve them from development and enhance public access to the Chesapeake Bay. The governor disclosed the deals to acquire more than 9,200 acres in Cecil, Charles, St. Mary's and Worcester counties as he unveiled a new computerized map of Maryland's environmentally valuable lands,...

An air-conditioned, spacious dining hall and conference center with a fully equipped, commercial kitchen, a newly graded playing field and an Olympic-sized pool are making the Harford County 4-H Camp a cool place to pass the summer. With a name befitting its setting, Deer Creek Overlook, the newest amenity and centerpiece of the camp in Forest Hill, is providing club members with a year-round activity center and a source of revenue for the entire facility. The 12,000-square-foot multi-purpose center, which opened last month, will be formally dedicated at 2 p.m. today and is already becoming a popular spot for receptions, business conferences and social gatherings.

Plan could stem Columbia's decline Downtown Columbia has been losing business to surrounding, newer developments for years. It is past time to reverse the damage to what was once a hot spot for businesses wanting to locate in the Baltimore-Washington corridor ("Views of the future," July 11). A deteriorating core of a community is dangerous to its economic health. We need to replace the outdated buildings with architecturally distinguished ones. We want more places to eat, and we need more housing options for the downtown work force, as well as others who want to live and work in the community.

Anne Arundel County has received state funding to preserve a 183-acre farm in Lothian and is on its way to getting money for two more properties in South County. The state Board of Public Works has approved $2 million in funding for the $2.6 million purchase of an easement on the William Hall farm on Route 2, and the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation is considering applications by two more farmers for 306 acres of rural property in Harwood. The easement - essentially an agreement that allows the state to control the land, impose development restrictions and perform regular inspections - was reviewed by the board of the MALPF and the county, which will contribute $670,000 in matching funds.