The Trust Bought 45 Acres of Farmland, Woodland & Wetlands
On November 15, 2002 the Harford Land Trust purchased 45 acres of farmland, woodland and wetland adjacent to Otter Creek of the Bush River from Gertrude E. Parks of Edgewood.
This property is adjacent to Willoughby Beach Road and contains the best agricultural soils in Harford County (Sassafras sandy loam) which means the best farm soil in Maryland. Its location in the Coastal Plain gives this farmland a two-week advantage in planting crops, as well as being irrigated from Otter Creek.
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Peter A. Jay, the Trust's president, noted "This is our first purchase of land with the primary goal of farmland preservation, and its conservation value is greater because of its proximity to the Bush River, the Izaak Walton League's 350-acre Bosely Conservancy, the National Estuarine Sanctuary's 250 acres, and the Leight Estuary Center's 93 acres across the river."
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Photo: Harford Land Trust
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The Trust's plan is to impose a perpetual conservation easement on this land and sell the fee simple interest to the farmer now renting it from the Trust, or, if that is not possible, another farmer. The present farmer tills his own lands in the Edgewood area, principally along Route 7, and has retail and wholesale outlets there. "In addition to adding 45 acres to the 700 acres of open space already preserved," said David P. Miller, the Trust's Project Director, "This is a rare opportunity to preserve a young farmer's flourishing agricultural operation in an area of intense urban development and re-development."
Although the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area line, 1,000 feet from Mean High Water, classifies this property as "Resource Conservation Area," (RCA) for very limited development, one unit per twenty acres, the Property is zoned R-2, in theory allowing 3.5 units per gross acre. Thus, the 3.61-acre portion south of this line by existing regulations could be allowed to hold 12 units.
The Harford Land Trust owns 104 acres of woodland not far from Mrs. Parks' former property. It is adjacent to "Otter Creek Landing," a Bob Ward development. This woodland has special ecological qualities and is designated "A Habitat of Local Significance" under the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program. For this reason, in December 1994, Bob Ward and his partners donated this land in fee simple to the Trust, instead of making it part of the development's community open space. The Trust is happy to hold this land in perpetuity, unless a better steward can be found for it. With the help of HLT Members and Volunteers living in the area, the Trust manages this woodland in cooperation with Flying Point Marina, which owns adjacent woodlands.
For this project the Harford Land Trust is using $225,000 from its Johnston N. Hegeman Land Fund, grants from private foundations, and an interest-bearing loan of $225,000 @ 4.5% from Forest Hill Bank. Forest Hill Bank is a Corporate Member of the Trust and was represented by Vicki A. Mentzer, vice president and also manager of its Jarrettsville branch. Gregory Szoka of Stark & Keenan, P.A. (also a Corporate Member of the Trust) managed the settlement for Forest Hill Bank. Raymond G. Truitt of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP, another Corporate Member of the Trust, assisted the Trust with this acquisition. Gertrude Parks' pastor, the Reverend Paul Austin of Trinity Lutheran Church, Joppa, assisted her, as did Stanley Rose of Bowie and John Jay John of Forest Hill, financial representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Foundation, the beneficiary of Mrs. Parks' charitable trust. (Such a trust agreement is an effective estate-planning instrument by which the owner donates liquid assets to a tax-exempt, charitable organization and receives a certain annuity payment for the remainder of the owner's lifetime.).
A successful buyer must be committed to securing the property's natural and agricultural values and land uses with permanent conservation easements.
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Photo: HLT