North County Preservation - Preserving the Unique Character of Northern Baltimore County

Welcome to North County Preservation, Inc.

North County Preservation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
supporting rural life in Northern Baltimore County.

We focus on gathering and distributing fact-based information to encourage responsible development and preservation, providing education on the history, and unique resources of the area, performing studies on land use trends, and solutions to conserve natural, agricultural, and scenic resources, and promoting long-term solutions to increase agricultural sustainability and to protect open space.

EVENTS
› Calendar
Check back for upcoming meetings and events.

CURRENT ISSUES
› Planning Board/Creameries Issue
A Baltimore County Planning Board hearing was held on January 15 for testimony on the proposed new zoning regulations to allow creameries in many RC zones. This issue originated from the Prigles case on Long Green Road in which the community association and a neighbor are fighting the building of a creamery on a dairy farm. On the judicial side, that case is now in the Circuit Court awaiting scheduling. It challenges both the county's approval of the creamery as well as the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation's approval, which paid for preservation in 1997.

Mike Pierce spoke before the board on behalf of NCP and, while voicing support for such agricultural value-added processes as a way to ensure the survival of farms in the North County, stressed the need for the legislation to be completely reviewed and modified to ensure that unintended consequences and further ambiguities are not created. Comments were provided to the board regarding the lack of specificity in the proposed bill for definitions, restrictions, and protection for both existing farms and other suitable uses of rural land.

Only a few speakers represented the Long Green Valley Association's position that a facility such as a creamery is "industrial" and does not belong in any RC zone or on any preserved land. Numerous others echoed the NCP position that the bill must be corrected to get it right and should not be passed as is.

A majority of the 26 speakers spoke in favor of the bill as drafted, but really were simply speaking in favor of allowing the Prigles to go ahead with their construction. They apparently see this bill as the quick way to stop the legal challenge.

NCP will be following up on this complex issue. DOWNLOAD THE PLANNING BOARD MEMO (PDF)>>

› NCP 2008 Annual Report Now Available
View and download in PDF. CLICK HERE>>

› Agricultural Study Updates
North County Preservation announced the availability of its report: Rural Baltimore County Agricultural Profitability Study and Action Plan... CLICK HERE FOR MORE>>

If you are interested in getting involved, please email Cathy Tipper or call (410) 218-3620. Visit our Ag Studies page for details. MORE INFO>>

› NCP has now completed its research on the CZMP issues proposing Upzoning in 2008.
The technical committee of NCP has been working for more than a year to create the research summary folders now available to the Planning Board and Councilman McIntire . VIEW THE REPORT (PDF)>>

› NCP's Special Report on CZMP and Baltimore County Schools
We have posted our report on our latest research:

"Research Report on School Overcrowding and CZMP Proves
Upzonings Will Make a Bad Situation Worse"

This report assesses the impact of North County CZMP Issues on school enrollment in relation to school capacity. VIEW THE REPORT (PDF)>>

VIEW THE ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET (XLS)>>

› Act Now To Preserve Baltimore County Property
Read Guidelines For Participating In The Comprehensive Zoning Map Process by Mary Corddry, Editor of the Sierran published by the Baltimore Sierra Club. CZMP PAGE>>

NEWS
› Small Farm Programs
If you are a small farm landowner with livestock, you may qualify for the Soil Conservation District's Small Farm Cost-Share Program. DOWNLOAD INFO>>

› Important - Hereford Zone Parents
Hereford High School is unique in its ability to offer your child a large number of honors and AP classes as well as fundamentals in Agricultural Education. Hereford is unique in also providing Ag Education, which today advances your child's knowledge in the fields of Math, Biology, Technology and Physics, and prepares children to the challenges of Agriculture in the 21st century. Please write to Principal Bereska to ask him to support Ag Education and make Hereford High the Best Practice School in this field that it used to be. Now a new opportunity is on the horizon for The CASE program (Curriculum of Agricultural Science Education), which is being developed, and pilot tested in ten states, of which Maryland is one. The goal is to further advance high academic standards in agriculture education. A Baltimore County school will be chosen to participate in the pilot test program. Interested parents can help bring this new program to Hereford High by writing to Principal Bereska.

› Discussion Boards
NEW! The North County Preservation Discussion Boards are now active! Post your comments, questions, or share information relevant to NCP and the upcoming CZMP process for northern Baltimore County.

› CZMP and Native Brook Trout in Baltimore County
Like canaries in a mine, suffering brook trout indicate that water quality has deteriorated and that the other species depending on the same habitat are also suffering. This report identifies the possible impact of zoning changes in the upcoming CZMP on brook trout. CZMP PAGE>>

› Zoning to Enhance Maryland’s Green Infrastructure
In anticipation of the Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (CZMP), the North County Preservation is issuing reports summarizing research about the environmental and quality of life issues which zoning decisions impact. These reports, in conjunction with NCP’s CZMP Geographic Information System (GIS), will help Baltimore County residents assess proposed zoning changes in terms of their environmental and quality of life impacts. CZMP PAGE>>

MAKE A DONATION
Consider North County Preservation for you tax-deductible donations! MORE INFO>>

North County Preservation, Inc.
P.O. Box 537 ● Monkton, MD 21111

Email: ncp@northcountypreservation.org