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Commissioners approve easements to preserve three Carroll County farms totaling about 193 acres
Summary
The board exercised options to purchase agricultural easements on three properties (Thomas, Arbuthnot, Lentzner), approving county shares of the purchase prices or appraised values totaling approximately $1,010,136 across the three transactions.
Carroll County commissioners voted Feb. 27 to approve easement purchases under the county's agricultural land preservation program for three separate properties in Manchester, Westminster and Taneytown.
The board approved an option to purchase an easement on the Wayne K. Thomas family property at 3501 Hanover Pike in Manchester, a 79.93-acre Christmas-tree farm. County staff said the fair-market value (land only) was $718,708.95 and that the county's share (70% of land-only appraisal) is $503,096.27; the owners will retire seven lot rights. The motion passed on a voice vote.
The board next approved an easement on the Duane and Janice Arbuthnot property at 2427 (****) Club Road in Westminster, a 51.28-acre remainder parcel. Staff reported the land-only fair-market value of $124,342.78 and a county cost of $87,039.94 (70% of the appraisal). No lot rights were remaining on that parcel. The motion passed by voice vote.
Finally, the commission approved final critical-farms approval for Donald Glenn Lentzner Jr., a contract purchaser of 3818 Old Taneytown Road in Taneytown, a 62.07-acre farm. County staff said the land-only appraisal was $943,000, that the purchaser's price was $800,000, and that the county's share would be $420,000 (52.5% of the purchase price, the lower of the two figures, per program rules). The motion passed by voice vote. Commissioners noted the approvals would add roughly 200 acres toward the county's preserved-acre goal and thanked program staff for the work.
Each easement motion was made, seconded, and approved by voice vote; the transcript records affirmative "Aye" responses from commissioners but does not include a roll-call tally.
