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Council hears support for 66.7-acre agricultural preservation purchase agreement in Mount Airy
Summary
Staff and supporters described an installment purchase agreement to preserve 66.7 acres in Mount Airy under the county agricultural land preservation program; staff said the property meets program criteria and recommended approval.
Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning staff presented Council Bill 53-2025, an installment purchase agreement (IPA) to acquire an agricultural preservation easement on a 66.7-acre farm owned by Jeffrey and Sue Harrison in Mount Airy.
Joy Levy, the county’s agricultural land preservation program administrator, told the council the farm is “just under 67 acres” and produces corn, soybeans, wheat and hay; about 80% of the property is in active agricultural use. Levy said approximately 53 acres are tillable cropland and 14 acres are woodland; 58% of soils are class 1–3 and 65% of the property is adjacent to already preserved land.
Levy said the contract purchase price is $2,307,900 and that interest over a 15-year installment term brings the overall cost to $2,703,704. Under the proposed IPA the Harrisons would receive 10% of the purchase price at settlement in cash, with the remainder paid over 15 years in equal installments plus semiannual interest payments. The funding source is the county’s dedicated portion of the local transfer tax reserved for the agricultural land preservation program.
Public comments included support for agricultural preservation generally and a request to reconsider program priorities from one speaker who said the program should be reassessed for current conditions. The county staff supported the IPA, saying the property met eligibility criteria and is adjacent to other preserved parcels.
Councilmembers asked one technical question about program tiering; staff confirmed the property is in Tier 4. No final vote was recorded during the hearing; staff said they support the acquisition and the bill will return for final consideration.
