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Sharpsburg officials press county over Green Hill Farm easement; county says Maryland Environmental Trust enforces covenants
Summary
Town officials and county staff debated whether restrictions in a Maryland Environmental Trust easement have been violated at Green Hill Farm. County planning staff said the state trust enforces easement covenants and that the property complied with a county cease-and-desist over cabins.
Town of Sharpsburg representatives pressed Washington County officials on Green Hill Farm and whether a Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) easement restricting commercial and residential structures had been breached, raising questions about who can enforce easement terms and whether county review processes need tightening.
The town representative, Russell, told commissioners the MET easement attached to parts of Green Hill Farm forbids new residential structures and limits commercial and industrial activities "other than farming, silviculture and horticulture." He said minutes and the easement language showed the property “shall never exceed 1” residential structure and asked the county to "tighten this process" so easement protections could not be circumvented by decisions elsewhere.
Jill Baker, Washington County director of planning and zoning, said the county maintains a GIS layer of recorded easements and that the county sent…
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