Preservation Districts

The historic Carroll County farm whose pumpkin patch was at the heart of one of the McCarthy era's most famous spy cases is among nine farms the county will submit to the state as agricultural preservation districts.After a public hearing yesterday, the county commissioners voted to recommend that the state designate the farms, totaling more than 1,000 acres, as preservation districts.This step requires the owners to commit to no development of the land for a minimum of five years.It makes them eligible to sell development rights to the state through an easement, but does not require them to sell the easement.

The Carroll commissioners voted yesterday to add three farms - more than 225 acres - to the state's farmland preservation program. The farms, in north-central Carroll County, will be designated preservation districts pending state approval. The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation is scheduled to vote on the county's recommendations at its meeting April 23. Under Maryland's program, the farms become temporary preservation districts and candidates for permanent preservation.

The County Commissioners considered 23 petitions for inclusion in the state's agricultural land preservation program Tuesday.The 23 farms total 2,451 acres and would increase to 40,512 the number of acres in preservation districts in Carroll.The commissioners did not take action on the petitions introduced by William Powel, county agricultural land preservation program administrator. Commissioner Julia W. Gouge said she wanted to discuss several of the petitions with county staff before granting approval.

The Carroll commissioners will decide today whether to add 657.35 acres - mostly near Taneytown and Lineboro - to the state's farmland preservation program. The commissioners will vote after a public hearing on the petitions to add nine parcels to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Carroll's planning commission and the county's Agricultural Preservation Board have recommended approving the petitions. If the commissioners approve the petitions, the decision on the parcels would go before the board of the State Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation on April 24 for final approval for designation in the program.

The Carroll commissioners voted yesterday to add three farms - more than 225 acres - to the state's farmland preservation program. The farms, in north-central Carroll County, will be designated preservation districts pending state approval. The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation is scheduled to vote on the county's recommendations at its meeting April 23. Under Maryland's program, the farms become temporary preservation districts and candidates for permanent preservation.

Owners of three North Carroll farms took the first step yesterday toward permanent protection of their land from development, winning acceptance into the county's agricultural land preservation program.The county commissioners voted unanimously to designate the farms, totaling 376 acres, as agricultural preservation districts.If the districts are approved by the state Agricultural Preservation Foundation this month, the farms will be eligible for permanent protection and owners will be eligible to sell the development rights to the state.

The Carroll commissioners will decide today whether to add 657.35 acres - mostly near Taneytown and Lineboro - to the state's farmland preservation program. The commissioners will vote after a public hearing on the petitions to add nine parcels to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Carroll's planning commission and the county's Agricultural Preservation Board have recommended approving the petitions. If the commissioners approve the petitions, the decision on the parcels would go before the board of the State Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation on April 24 for final approval for designation in the program.

The County Council has approved six new agricultural preservation districts, a distinction that gives the owners the opportunity to sell development rights on the properties to the state under the Maryland Agricultural Preservation Program.The council voted 6-0 Tuesday to create six county agricultural preservation districts. Joanne S. Parrott, R-District B, abstained from the vote because of a controversy over one farm.The properties accepted as agricultural districts in the county are:* 181.37 acres owned by Edward Garono of Darlington.

Carroll's farmland preservation program received parcels totaling 1,484 acres yesterday in one of its largest acquisitions of the decade when the County Commissioners approved keeping the sites free of development for at least five years.Twelve parcels, ranging from 25 acres to 172 acres, were recommended for designation as agricultural preservation districts, the first step needed to preserve the land permanently.Commissioners Donald I. Dell and Richard T. Yates voted in favor of the proposal.

Carroll's commissioners will decide next month whether to earmark $1 million to improve the county's chance of sharing in a $24 million state program to save Maryland farms and woodlands from development.The Rural Legacy program, part of Gov. Parris N. Glendening's Smart Growth initiative, will provide the money over the next two fiscal years to buy development rights from property owners who agree to keep the land in agriculture, forest, wetlands or waterfront buffers.The County Commissioners rejected an initial request to set aside $500,000 in local agricultural preservation funds in each of the next two fiscal years for Rural Legacy.

Four developers competing to buy a century-old hospital in downtown Annapolis met with residents last night, each offering different options for transforming the 5-acre site into a mix of houses and shops.The companies are finalists in the race to purchase the Anne Arundel Medical Center land, the largest piece of property to become available in the heart of Annapolis in decades. The hospital is planning to relocate to Parole in 2001 and residents have been watching the site carefully since officials first announced their intention to move.

Owners of three North Carroll farms took the first step yesterday toward permanent protection of their land from development, winning acceptance into the county's agricultural land preservation program.The county commissioners voted unanimously to designate the farms, totaling 376 acres, as agricultural preservation districts.If the districts are approved by the state Agricultural Preservation Foundation this month, the farms will be eligible for permanent protection and owners will be eligible to sell the development rights to the state.

The historic Carroll County farm whose pumpkin patch was at the heart of one of the McCarthy era's most famous spy cases is among nine farms the county will submit to the state as agricultural preservation districts.After a public hearing yesterday, the county commissioners voted to recommend that the state designate the farms, totaling more than 1,000 acres, as preservation districts.This step requires the owners to commit to no development of the land for a minimum of five years.It makes them eligible to sell development rights to the state through an easement, but does not require them to sell the easement.

A historic Carroll County farm that belonged to former Communist Whittaker Chambers -- a player in one of the most sensational spy cases of the McCarthy era -- received preliminary approval for agricultural preservation yesterday.The 202-acre farm now owned by Chambers' son, John Chambers, was among nine properties -- totaling more than 1,000 acres -- the county planning commission recommended be included in the agricultural preservation district.The Chambers' farm drew national attention in 1948, when Chambers dramatically produced microfilm from a hollowed-out pumpkin that purportedly tied former State Department official Alger Hiss to Soviet agents.

Moving one step closer to the county's goal of preserving 100,000 acres by 2020, the County Commissioners agreed yesterday to spend $580,000 to purchase development rights on 387 acres of farmland.The land will be acquired as part of the county's Critical Farms program. Established in 1992, the program assists new farm owners who want to use preservation funds to buy a farm, but cannot afford to wait for the lengthy state preservation program process.The commissioners approved three properties to participate in the program: Blaine A. Harman, who will receive $215,000 for easements on his 168-acre farm at in the 6800 block of Middleburg Road, Keymar; Matthew M. and Debra L. Hoff, who will receive $219,000 for easements on 127 acres in the 2000 block of Old New Windsor Road, New Windsor; and Michael A. and Kristin D. Tracey, who will receive $144,000 for 91 acres in the 1700 block of Manchester Road, Westminster.

Commissioner W. Benjamin Brown outlined an aggressive plan yesterday to nearly double the county's farmland preservation program -- a plan he says is crucial if Carroll is to reach its goal of preserving 100,000 acres by 2020.Under his proposal, county and state annual spending on Carroll's preservation program would grow to about $7 million, up from current spending of about $4 million.The money would allow the county to permanently set aside 3,500 acres of farmland a year, 1,500 acres more than it is able to preserve now."

Carroll County's farmland preservation program got a boost yesterday when the planning commission recommended that about 1,600 acres remain undeveloped for at least the next five years.The county's goal is to permanently set aside 100,000 acres for agricultural use by 2020.So far, 25,679 acres have been preserved, and another 18,307 are in agricultural preservation districts -- the first step toward permanent preservation.Twelve owners of 13 rural parcels, ranging from 25 acres to 172 acres, want the County Commissioners to put their parcels into agricultural preservation districts so they can become eligible for a state program that would pay them to keep their property from being developed.

Carroll's farmland preservation program received parcels totaling 1,484 acres yesterday in one of its largest acquisitions of the decade when the County Commissioners approved keeping the sites free of development for at least five years.Twelve parcels, ranging from 25 acres to 172 acres, were recommended for designation as agricultural preservation districts, the first step needed to preserve the land permanently.Commissioners Donald I. Dell and Richard T. Yates voted in favor of the proposal.