Click here for the text of a special hearing requested by The Manor Tavern.

We've received some questions about a special hearing requested by The Manor Tavern and we'd like to provide information to the community about the request.

The Manor Tavern, located at 15819 Old York Road, is asking for modifications to its parking plan. The request is to allow fewer than the required parking spaces on land zoned BL-CR, business parking on land zoned RC-2, overflow parking both on-site and off-site, and a residential  lot less than the minimum 1-acre size required on land zoned RC-2.

The hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 23, at 1:30 pm at the Jefferson Building, 105 W. Chesapeake Avenue, room 205, in Towson. We will be asking for a postponement because of a scheduling conflict and will let you know if and when the hearing is rescheduled. Your attendance at the hearing lets the Administrative Law Judge know that the community is involved and concerned with activities in the area, and attendees have the opportunity to have their concerns heard.

The Department of Public Works will hold its tenth annual public meeting to discuss rural roads, bridges, repaving and traffic issues at the Agriculture Center, 1114 Shawan Road, on Wednesday, April 25, between 5:30 and 7:30 PM. The meeting fulfills the County’s pledge to meet annually with residents interested in preserving the rural character of the County and to apprise them of infrastructure plans.

These annual public meetings evolved from the Rural Roads Standards, a citizen-government agreement, approved by the County Council, which codified standards and policies for road and bridge maintenance in rural areas.

As in the past, residents and interested parties will be able to speak one-on-one with Public Works engineers on specific, local issues, following a short introduction. The public will also be able to leave written comments. For more information, call the Director’s Office, Department of Public Works: 410 887-2171.

Delegate Chris West and Senator JB Jennings have proposed a bill to exclude commercial solar arrays on farmland from receiving the preferred agricultural assessment property tax rate.  The bill went before the House Ways and Means Committee February 20, 2018, and will be heard in the Senate on March 7.

Delegate West has also introduced a bill that would create a study on the best sites for large-scale commercial solar installations.  This bill will be heard in the House on March 12.

Her are the links to the bills: 

 http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/bills/hb/hb1013F.pdf

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/bills/hb/hb0866F.pdf

Please let us know if you would like to testify!

We are pleased to announce that The Manor Conservancy has been granted an additional easement on nearly 40 acres of land in Harford County. Over fifteen years ago, a landowner donated an easement on this property, and now the current landowner has donated a more restrictive easement that includes fifty-foot stream buffers on tributaries of the Little Gunpowder Falls. We’re very grateful to the landowner for demonstrating his commitment to land preservation in Harford County and helping to preserve and protect water quality and our rural way of life.

May 1 is the deadline for applications to sell easements to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.  Since this program is on a two-year cycle, if you miss the deadline you'll have to wait until 2020 to submit an application!  Click here for more information about the program: click here for information on how to apply.

We are pleased to announce that, along with our friends at MET, The Manor Conservancy has been granted an easement on over 50 acres of land in northern Baltimore County, adding to the 4,000 acres we’ve preserved in Baltimore and Harford Counties.  With over 40 acres of farmland and 5 acres of woodlands, the property includes a stream and beautiful rural views.  We’re grateful to the landowners, who said about preserving their property, “It’s just the right thing to do.”

If you need another reason to go outside, consider that medical professionals now recognize the healing powers of nature. Doctors are writing prescriptions for patients to spend time in parks and on trails; they call it ecotherapy. Spending time in the countryside leads to higher self-esteem, quicker recovery, and even protection against future illness. Focusing on the sounds of chirping birds, the sight of trees, and the rush of running water from streams or rivers -- all things protected by land preservation -- yields the most beneficial effects. Try it yourself!

A generous grant  has allowed us to match donations to the Iglehart Fund dollar for dollar up to $100,000!  The Iglehart Fund, named for Francis "Ike" Iglehart, is designated to purchase land that is imminently threatened by development.  The land is purchased, preserved, and sold, with the proceeds returned to the Fund.  

Please help us build this Fund.  All donations will go directly toward preserving land!  Click here to donate.

On October 12, members and guests enjoyed an update on The Manor Conservancy's activities and a very interesting presentation by Scott McGill, principal at Ecotone, on stream restoration, including a video filmed at First Mine Run.  Anne and Bob Kinsley accepted the Sergeant Murphy Award for land preservation.  Thanks to Scott and to all who came out in support of Anne and Bob, The Manor Conservancy, and land preservation!

Bob Kinsley, Anne Kinsley, Henry Pitts (president), L to R

Click here for the text of Bob Kinsley's acceptance remarks

At the July 3, 2017, Baltimore County Council Meeting, the bill submitted by Vicki Almond passed, with amendments.  Up to 10 installations per councilmanic district will be permitted by special exception; installations can produce up to two megawatts of electricity.  This does not include installations accessory to a principal residential or agricultural use or accessory to a principal commercial, industrial, or institutional use, rooftop installations, installations on government-owned land that produces energy for government use, or solar facilities on farms that use at least 2/3 of the energy produced for agricultural uses on the farm.  A variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies are charged with evaluating the impact of solar facilities and submitting recommendations of potential changes to the law by July 1, 2018.

When or whether solar installations will begin appearing in the area is unknown.  We will continue to work with other community groups and our legislators to use alternative energy intelligently.