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JANUARY
2012 UPDATE ON HESS
ROAD BRIDGE
Thanks to Ralph Rigger
and the Hess Road Preservation
Association for this
information:
"The painting of
lines on the road apparently
awaits a decision on
whether to apply a grit
coating that will improve
auto and horse footing.
The Hess Road Preservation
Association (HRPA) leaders
met with councilman
Huff late in December.
Everything currently
awaits reports from
two inspections. The
general safety survey
has been made but the
report is not due until
February 1st. Huff called
the Dept of Public Works
(DPW) and asked about
this report. The second
is the results of the
survey of the abutments
(foundation walls and
footings.)
We know that the
top deck of asphalt
on a steel pan must
be replaced. The unknown
is the amount of repair
that may be needed on
the steel support structure.
But the crucial report
is the condition of
the foundation walls.
If the foundation walls
fail, a new bridge will
be needed and our fight
will be to limit the
size and location of
the replacement.
Todd Huff is impressed
with our unity and numbers.
He seems to want to
help us retain a small
bridge, consistent with
Hess Road's designated
usage of a "minor rural
collector". There are
two State initiatives
which should help to
save the bridge. One,
the State highway department
plans to provide two
left turn lanes Eastbound
from Papermill Rd into
northbound Jarrettsville
Pike and The second:
the new State Growth
Management program which
limits State capital
(money) investments
from County transportation
projects where growth
is not an issue nor
desired. If we can "stop
the money", we can stop
the BIG bridge."
Hess Road Bridge
Battle
The fate of the
Hess Road Bridge
and the consequences
of its renovation
are being hotly
discussed by the
community and Harford
and Baltimore County
officials. In the
link provided here,
a summary of the
review process,
politics, and financing
is provided by Ellen
Reeder, secretary
of the newly formed
Hess Road Preservation
Association: "Hess
Road Bridge, Your
Name is Needed."
Opposition to
widening the structure
and straightening
the approaches is
coalescing as the
engineering review
process advances.
The bridge spans
the Little Gunpowder
Falls and its relation
to The My Lady's
Manor National Historic
District is significant.
This may require
impact studies and
investigation of
alternatives if
federal money is
going into the project.
YOUR HELP IS
NEEDED!
Read More Here>>
Hess
Road Bridge Project
Two public meetings
are scheduled in
October in which
citizens are invited
to further express
their desires and
concerns regarding
the Hess Road Bridge
Project.
The first meeting
is Thursday,
October 6, 2011,
at 5 p.m.
in Hearing Room
104 of the Jefferson
Building and is
part of the Baltimore
County Planning
Board's regularly
scheduled Citizen
Input Meeting for
the Capital Program.
On Tuesday,
October 11, 2011
at 6 p.m.,
at the Veronica
"Roni" Chenowith
Activity Center,
1707 Fallston Road,
Fallston MD, the
Harford County Department
of Public Works
invites interested
citizens to participate
in a preliminary
meeting.
The proposed
project would have
significant negative
effects on the environment,
our rural community,
and safety of the
area.
Annual
Meeting 2011 Notice/Keynote
Speaker
The Annual Meeting
of Conservancy members
will take place
on Thursday evening,
October 27, 2011
at 6:30 P.M. Location
is the Elkridge
Harford Hunt Club,
2812 Pocock Road,
Monkton, MD 21111
(Map
and Directions)
At the meeting
the State of the
Conservancy will
be reported including
finance, stewardship,
and other matters,
and members will
elect the Board
of Directors for
the 2011-2014 term.
Meeting notices
will mailed to members
with proxies enclosed
for those unable
to attend.
The annual meeting
is open to the public
and all supporters
and interested individuals
are encouraged to
attend. We are pleased
to welcome Tom Liebel
as our keynote speaker,
addressing "Smart
Growth and Dumb
Development". Tom
is one of the nation's
first accredited
professionals in
Leadership in Energy
and Environmental
Design (LEED). He
has earned multiple
national, state
and local awards
in architecture,
higher education,
master planning,
sustainable design,
and historic preservation.
For more about Tom
Liebel please
Click Here>>.
Supporters are
asked to kindly
respond to the annual
membership dues
invoice included
in the Fall mailing,
or renew or contribute
via PayPal online.
Renew Membership>>
Make a Donation>>
Your continued
support is needed
and appreciated!
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HESS
ROAD PRESERVATION
STATUS
One of the essential
elements for the
success of a large
scale preservation
is amassing contiguous
property in perpetual
easement. An important
area with significant
agricultural, environmental,
historical and scenic
values along Hess
Road from Jarrettsville
Pike to Manor Road
represents a contiguous
mass of over 1800
acres. Applications
are pending for
two properties representing
160 acres which
will complete this
block of preserved
land. There remain
concerns about program
funding and other
impediments but
the landowners and
The Manor Conservancy
are hopeful that
settlement can be
achieved.
These key acquisitions
represent the culmination
of an effort which
began over 35 years
ago with the donations
of easements on
the Griswold and
Shapiro Farms. Over
1800 acres in perpetual
preservation just
with properties
fronting Hess Road
is a conservation
success of historic
proportion and demonstrates
the strong community
support in the Manor
and White Hall areas
for preservation.
These properties
are representative
of several land
conservation programs,
including MALPF
(Maryland Agricultural
Land Preservation
Foundation), MET
(Maryland Environmental
Trust), Rural Legacy
(State, Baltimore
and Harford Counties)
and donated easements.
The focus of the
Manor Conservancy
is Northern Baltimore
and Northwest Harford
Counties, including
the Gunpowder and
Deer Creek watersheds.
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Spring 2011
Board Announcements
L.
Augusta Boyce and
Faith Nevins Hawks
have joined the
Manor Conservancy
Board.
Augusta Boyce,
MST, a senior accountant
with KatzAbosch,
specializes in partnership
and trust taxation.
She also has experience
working with individual,
estate, construction
and not-for-profit
and small business
clients as well
as employee benefit
plan audits. Ta
is a life long resident
of Monkton, an accomplished
equestrian and supporter
of land conservation.
Faith Nevins
Hawks, AIA, LEED
AP, is a principal
at Marks, Thomas,
Architects. She
oversees design
process, she is
a member of the
Architectural Review
Board of Baltimore
County and provides
mentoring for architectural
programs at University
of Maryland and
Morgan State University.
A resident of Monkton,
Faith is knowledgeable
in energy and environmental
design relevant
to the mission of
the Conservancy.
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The Manor Conservancy
Land Preservation
Award: The Sergeant
Murphy Cup
An
award has been established
to recognize individuals
for their exceptional
efforts toward the
preservation of
land in northern
Baltimore and Harford
Counties. Francis
"Ike" Iglehart and
James W. Constable
were recognized
as the first recipients
of the award presented
at the Calcutta
fundraiser held
in April 2011.
The award brings
new life to the
Sergeant Murphy
Trophy, whose history
is particularly
appropriate to its
new intended use.
It is a reflection
of the heritage
and countryside
we seek to preserve
in the Manor Area.
The colorful history
of the horse, Sergeant
Murphy, his achievement
as the first American
owned horse to win
the English Grand
National at Aintree,
his roots in Maryland,
the Harford Hunt
Races - a point
to point held on
the grounds of Harvey
Ladew's Pleasant
Valley - are just
part of the story.
The Sanford family's
connections with
the Manor and the
fitting return of
the trophy to honor
those committed
to preserving open
space, agriculture
and rural lifestyle,
make for a very
special denouement
to Sergeant Murphy's
journey.
Maryanna Skowronski,
Director of the
Harford County Historical
Society, has researched
its background and
has written the
following:
The Sergeant
Murphy Point to
Point was held from
1925 through 1934
(no race in 1931)
as a part of the
Harford Hunt Races
held on the grounds
of Pleasant Valley
Farm, home to Harvey
S. ored by Stephen
"Laddie" Sanford
and was named in
honor of Sanford's
'chaser Sergeant
Murphy, who in 1923
was the first American
owned horse to win
the English Grand
National. British
newsreel footage
of the race still
exists. Originally
intended as a hunt
horse for Sanford,
The Sergeant, as
he was known proved
not suited for the
field.
Stephen Sanford
was the heir to
the Sanford carpet
fortune and hailed
from New York. He
was the son of John
Sanford owner of
Sanford Stud Farm
and is best known
as a member of the
champion Hurricanes
polo team. Sanford
was married to the
former stage and
film actress Mary
Duncan Sanford.
Mary Sanford can
be seen performing
with Katharine Hepburn
in the film Morning
Glory. invasion
the Sanfords maintained
a stable at Farmington
(the club). According
to newspaper accounts
of the day, Mrs.
Sanford was considered
to be glamorous
and popular. Not
an accomplished
equestrienne in
the beginning, she
rapidly learned
to ride and astonished
everyone by tackling
her husband's horse
Bright's Boy which
became her favorite
mount.
Among the noteworthy
or recognizable
names on the Sergeant
Murphy trophy which
was given back to
Harford County by
the Sanford family
are: Redmond Stewart,
running) and A.C.
Bostwick.
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Shawan Downs
and Other Easement
News
A
gateway to conservation
in Northern Baltimore
County, Shawan Downs,
owned by the Land
Preservation Trust,
signed an easement
agreement with The
Manor Conservancy
on September 23,
2010. The 210 acre
equestrian facility
is the site of the
Legacy Chase steeplechase
race, horse trials
run by the Maryland
Combined Training
Association, and
other rural activities.
It borders the new
Baltimore County
Agriculture Center
and is a shining
example of community
support and effort
to preserve agriculturally
and environmentally
important land.
Other recent
easements held by
The Manor Conservancy
include 51 acres
on Old York Road
in Phoenix, 80 acres
on Hess Road in
Monkton and 27 acres
on Jarrettsville
Pike, part of a
significant farm
already in other
easements near Hess
Road. In the Manor
area, Gunpowder
Conservancy secured
79 acres on Bluemount
Road in Monkton
through the Rural
Legacy program.
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New Conservation
Tax Incentives
Congress recently
renewed, through
2011, an incentive
that enhanced the
tax benefits of
protecting our land
by donating a voluntary
conservation easement.
If you own land
with important natural
or historic resources,
these new incentives
allow many modest
income landowners
to deduct much more
than they could
under the old rules,
bringing increased
fairness to the
tax code.
The incentive:
- Raises the
maximum deduction
you can take
for donating
a voluntary
conservation
agreement from
30% of your
adjusted gross
income (AGI)
to 50%.
- Allows you
to deduct up
to 100% of your
AGI if you qualify
as a farmer
or rancher,
and
- Increases
the number of
years over which
you can take
deductions from
6 years to 16
years.
It is important
to note that the
incentive only applies
to easements donated
between 2006 and
2011. The national
Land Trust Alliance
is working to make
this change permanent,
but as it stands,
it will expire at
the end of 2011.
Please contact The
Manor Conservancy
for more information.
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Federal Farm Bill
Guide
A
Guide for Land Trusts
and Landowners is available
to download from the
Links page on our
web site.
Click Here to Download>>
From the introduction:
"If you care about private
land conservation, you
can't afford not to
know the federal Farm
Bill, the single greatest
source of private land
conservation funding
in the United States.
. . . Private agricultural
landowners are the primary
recipients of Farm Bill
conservation funds."
The Guide provides
a concise introduction
to the Farm Bill and
its conservation programs,
the agencies involved,
and general eligibility
requirements. It provides
tips for choosing the
right program, navigating
the application process.
It provides case studies
on how Farm Bill dollars
have been leveraged
to maximize benefits.
The Manor Conservancy
can refer landowners
to experts and county
staff whose job it is
to facilitate implementation
of Farm Bill programs.
Landowners deal directly
with local field or
county offices to explore
the possibilities of
the many land conservation
programs available.
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Manor and Deer Creek
Rural Legacy Awards
The Manor Conservancy
on September 1, 2010
was awarded a $1 million
grant by the Maryland
Rural Legacy Program
to purchase, from willing
landowners, conservation
easements on lands that
will remain in private
hands.
The purchases are
administered through
the Maryland Rural Legacy
Program administered
by the Department of
Natural Resources. Conservation
easements prevent development
in perpetuity by placing
restrictions in property
deeds.
The grant was announced
at a meeting of the
Md. Board of Public
Works, which approved
a total of $12.6 million
for land preservation
through the Rural Legacy
Program in 14 counties.
Also in Baltimore County,
the Piney Run area will
receive $1
million. In Harford
County, the Deer Creek
Rural Legacy Area will
receive $1.36 million.
This adds another source
of funds for purchases
in the Harford County
portion of our focus
territory.
The Deer Creek Rural
Legacy Area includes
the length of Deer Creek
through northern Harford
County and joins with
the boundary of the
Manor Rural Legacy Area,
which covers the historic
My Lady's Manor, Monkton
and White Hall areas
in both Baltimore and
Harford Counties.
Maryland has four
other programs that
preserve private lands
which, along with a
number of county-operated
preservation programs,
have together preserved
approximately 660,000
acres statewide, according
to state data. Most
of these lands are in
agricultural use.
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New Board Members
Gary C. Duvall and
Henry C. Pitts have
recently joined the
Conservancy Board:
Gary Duvall is a
principal/attorney with
Miles & Stockbridge,
P.C., whose practice
is primarily focused
on insurance coverage,
estate and trust litigation,
and employment law.
He and his wife, Carole,
have resided in Monkton
for 18 years at "Solomon's
Chance", the circa 1798
home of the Foster family
of Hereford, located
off Monkton Road. The
Duvalls have been long
active in land preservation
and their own farm was
placed in donation with
The Manor Conservancy
several years ago.
Henry Pitts is a
life long resident of
Monkton and the Manor
having grown up at 'Clynmalira'
on Carroll Road. He
is retired from the
former Mercantile-Safe
Deposit and Trust Company
where he managed a real
estate pension fund.
He and his wife Jenny
have two grown children
and have lived on Irish
Avenue for the past
35 years, property which
they have donated in
preservation easements.
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"I love this
valley and dreaded
the thought that
it would disappear
after I'm gone.
Now it won't."
--Cathy
Drennan
Iglehart Fund
The
late Frances "Ike" Iglehart
was on the board of
The Manor Conservancy
since it was founded.
He was on the frontline
of every major preservation
battle undertaken by
the Conservancy.
He advocated protective
zoning and diligent
enforcement, raised
money, found buyers
for farms targeted by
developers and was an
invaluable salesman
for conservation easements.
Ike was a steady hand
imparting his wise counsel,
political and diplomatic
skills, time and energy.
His efforts were critical
in fending off the scars
of ill conceived development
and commercialization,
and we owe him and his
memory for leaving behind
a monument to the rural
lifestyle, bucolic farms
and forests, our sense
of community and sport.
In his honor, a revolving
fund has been established
to be called the Francis
N. Iglehart Fund, as
a reserve that can be
used towards the purchase
of farms in danger of
subdivision. The
fund will be built with
contributions, bequests
and occasional grants.
Funds will be used as
seed money for establishing
purchasing syndicates
or for outright purchases
of land under threat.
The Fund will be replenished
when that purchased
land is resold with
conservation restrictions.
It will not be used
for operating expenses
of The Manor Conservancy.
We welcome donations
of any size. Checks
should be payable to
The Manor Conservancy,
Inc. with a notation
that it is intended
for the Francis Iglehart
Fund and mailed to the
Conservancy's address
at P.O. Box 408, Monkton,
Maryland 21111.
You may also make an
online contribution
designated to the fund
via PayPal. Anyone
interested in making
a donation by means
of a bequest in a will
or distribution from
a trust may call James
W. Constable at (410)
659-1315 to obtain more
information. The
Manor Conservancy, Inc.
is a 501(c)(3) corporation
and all contributions
are tax deductible.
We appreciate your support.
CLICK HERE for Online
Donations>>
For donation information,
please contact James
Constable at 410-659-1315.
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Rural Legacy 2008
- $750,000 award
for TMC
Rural Legacy grant
awards for 2008 were
announced March 14 by
Governor O'Malley at
a gathering of local
land trust representatives,
government officials,
reporters, and rural
neighbors.
The Rural Legacy Program
is funded through a
combination of Maryland
Program Open Space dollars
and general obligation
bonds from state's capital
budget. Funds
can be supplemented
by local jurisdictions.
Each year, local land
trusts such as The Manor
Conservancy prepare
competitive applications
for such grants which
are reviewed by a Rural
Legacy Board for recommendations
to the Governor and
Board of Public Works.
The
Manor Conservancy has
been chosen to receive
$750,000 in grant monies
to support its land
preservation efforts.
Other legacy areas in
the state also received
grants with the total
exceeding $21,000,000
to be available in 2008.
Along with neighboring
legacy areas of Gunpowder
Falls Lower Deer
Creek, and Piney Run,
The Manor Conservancy
will be active in pursuing
easements to protect
areas vulnerable to
sprawl development.
The Rural Legacy Program
recognizes the economic
value which farming,
forestry, recreation,
and tourism represent
and the program plays
an important part in
the growth of conservation
easements. Find
out more about the program
from the Links page
of our web site.
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