Commissioners approve farm lease pending verification, table detailed plan for Snow Hill Farm purchase

Saint Mary’s County officials on April 25 discussed next steps after the county’s March 30 purchase of Snow Hill Farm and approved an agricultural lease with Jeffrey Raley Sr. and Jeffrey Raley Jr. pending verification of prior lease terms and rent. The county tabled detailed approval of a plan of action for the property until staff returns with additional information.

Recreation and Parks acting director Arthur Shepherd said Snow Hill Farm measures 158.64 acres; the county’s purchase price was $1,800,000 and incidental closing or near‑term costs were estimated at about $100,000, bringing the total project cost to approximately $1,900,000. Funding sources reported at the meeting included $1,000,000 in local open‑space funds, $516,447 in state Program Open Space (POS) funds (approved by the Board of Public Works on March 22), and $383,553 in Rippey funds.

Commissioners discussed operational issues: staff recommended securing the property, continuing crop farming under a lease, cutting grass, and addressing two in‑ground pools on the property that may be beyond useful repair. Commissioners asked staff to evaluate whether to fence the pools, fill and remove them, or otherwise mitigate public‑safety risks if the county opens the property for public use. Staff noted one tenant house could be made rentable with roughly $10,000 in repairs; two other houses will require separate disposition decisions. The Raleys said they would add Snow Hill to their crop‑management/deer‑management permit and are prepared to farm the site if a lease is approved.

The board approved a motion to table formal adoption of the plan of action pending verification of lease details and additional information about property maintenance and pool remediation. Separately, the board approved a lease with the Raleys for agricultural use conditional on staff verifying the lease price and the prior owner’s leasing arrangement.