Environmentalists applauded the state?s approval of a 720-acre purchase of environmentally sensitive land slated for development in Dorchester County?s Cambridge.
The three-member Board of Public Works on Wednesday signed off on the $10.3 million acquisition near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, a haven for several endangered animals. The move saves more than two-thirds of a 1,000-acre parcel where a developer proposed a 3,200-home resort and retail community.
“The community wins, the environment wins, the developer wins, the city of Cambridge wins, and the agricultural community wins,” said Kim Coble, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which championed a 30,000 signature petition against the development. “It?s a great compromise.”
The sale was originally announced by former Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich just one day before he was defeated in the November 2006 election. Wednesday, Democratic Gov. Martin O?Malley, a member of the board, commended state agencies and environmental groups for their cooperation.
“I think this is a great day not only for Blackwater, but also the Chesapeake Bay,” O?Malley said.
Developer Duane Zentgraf still will be able to build about 675 homes, a 75 percent reduction in the volume he originally proposed. Zentgraf agreed to spend $1.9 million improving water quality of the Little Blackwater River and reforesting hundreds of acres with native plants and trees. The rest of the preserved land will remain in agricultural use, officials said.
The parcel is part of what Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin called a “green infrastructure hub,” including an adjacent 60,000 forested acres purchased in 1999.
“It makes sense from a managerial perspective,” Griffin said. “We already have staff there so they don?t have to hopscotch to an isolated area.” The purchase is funded by the state?s Program Open Space. The final contract will be signed May 25, officials said.
