Commissioners pause decision on Delaney parcel transfer after residents urge keeping land available for future school site

The Board of County Commissioners discussed a request from the county’s Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to transfer roughly 78 acres of county‑owned land in Eldersburg — known as the Delaney property — for development as an employment campus, but no final decision was made on Oct. 9.

Economic development staff and the IDA told commissioners the parcel is within the designated growth area, has access to water and sewer, and was identified in a county land‑use study as a potential site suitable for an employment campus to attract higher‑paying jobs. The IDA noted its previous projects and said developing infrastructure on the Delaney parcel would create a ready‑to‑market site for employers.

Speakers at the meeting urged caution. Lisa Maisano, a Sykesville‑area resident, and other commenters said the county originally acquired the property for school use and that the site sits within the Sykesville Middle School district. They urged the county to retain at least part of the acreage as a future school replacement site, pointing to Sykesville Middle’s age, small parcel size and future modernization needs.

County commissioners discussed both priorities: the potential tax and job benefits of an employment campus and the need to preserve sites for future school modernizations. After an extended discussion, a motion to transfer the property to the IDA was made and then withdrawn so commissioners could continue stakeholder outreach and allow county staff and school system planners to further evaluate school siting options. Staff said the Delaney parcel remains county‑owned pending further board direction.