Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced the closing on the Savage remainder property, a five-acre parcel located to the west of Savage Mill, for $1.725 million. Howard County has officially taken ownership of the property and will preserve the property as open space.
The county will use Program Open Space (POS) – state funding designated for outdoor recreation and open space areas for public use – to complete this transaction.
Development of the Savage remainder property has long been controversial due to its environmental significance. This property has been the target of proposed development since 2013, transitioning through iterations ranging from 15 units per acre to a maximum of 35 units. The Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks will now preserve the property as open space available for use by the public.
The property is designated by the state of Maryland as a Targeted Ecological Area, reserved for lands and watersheds of high ecological value that have been identified as conservation priorities. Additionally, the property is part of Howard County’s Green Infrastructure Network that connects ecologically valuable forests, wetlands, meadows, waterways and other natural areas.
“The department received a Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space grant to pay for land costs to further protect the Little Patuxent River while adding acreage to Savage Park,” said Director of Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks Raul Delerme. “The county actively pursued this acquisition of property with the support of the Savage Community Association and looks forward to working with them in the coming years to determine the best use for this new parkland.”
“We are pleased to have completed the sale of this property adjoining Historic Savage Mill to Howard County to become part of the Savage Park,” said Jay Winer, general managing partner of Savage Mill. “We look forward to working with the county in the future on plans for the park land to benefit the community and highlight historic Savage Mill.”