Turf Valley landowners had a victory when the County Council allowed public water and sewer to be extended to the former golf course property.
But the issue on environmental testing of the land is far from over.
“We have received fairly strong legal advice that we cannot connect this with testing requirements of the property owner,” said Council Member Courtney Watson, D-District 1.
So the council is working on an agreement with the Mangione family, which owns Turf Valley, for further testing.
If an agreement isn?t met, Watson said, the council can pass legislation mandating testing.
The ability to legislate should put pressure on the developer to enter into an agreement, said Bridget Mugane, president of the Howard County Citizens Association, which advocated for the council to table the bills.
Howard Health Officer Peter Beilenson sent a draft agreement to the Mangiones family last week, which outlines testing protocols.
Louis Mangione said he was waiting for his consultants to review the agreement.
“We?ll do whatever is right,” he said. “Everybody will be safe.”
The draft agreement “looked pretty good to us,” Mugane said, adding it requires grid testing, rather than selecting random samples.
The council unanimously passed three measures Monday allowing the Mangione family to extend the water and sewer district to include about 70 acres in Ellicott City.
Such legislation usually is handled by the administration, but since community opposition exists, it goes before the council.
“We are pleased it?s over, but we thought it took longer than it needed to,” Mangione said after the vote.
Similar legislation died in the County Council last fall amid health concerns.
The legislation met strongopposition from community and environmental activists who demanded environmental testing be done before the land is developed.
