$1.7M Paid By HoCo Officials For Savage Remainder Property

Columbia MD

30 December, 2020

12:44 PM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The county has closed on the Savage remainder property, a 5-acre parcel located to the west of Savage Mill, for $1.725 million. Howard County officials intend to preserve the property as open space using "Program Open Space" state funding designated for outdoor recreation and open space areas for public use in order to complete this transaction. Development of the Savage remainder property has been a hot topic, since it was the target of a proposed development in 2013 that called for anywhere from 15 units per acre to 35 units. "We listened to and heard the concerns from the Savage community and will preserve this valuable green space that connects to Savage Park while contributing to the quality of life of all our residents," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement. "Moving forward we will continue to work with our partners to protect our green and open spaces. Thank you to our District 13 representatives and our state delegation for prioritizing Program Open Space funding, and the expansion of parkland in Howard County, which helped us bring this project into fruition." The property is designated by the State of Maryland as a targeted ecological area, reserved for lands and watersheds of high ecological value that have been identified as conservation priorities. Additionally, the property is part of Howard County's green infrastructure network that connects ecologically valuable forests, wetlands, meadows, waterways and other natural areas. "The department received a Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space grant to pay for land costs to further protect the Little Patuxent River while adding acreage to Savage Park," Director of Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks Raul Delerme said. "The county actively pursued this acquisition of property with the support of the Savage Community Association and looks forward to working with them in the coming years to determine the best use for this new parkland."