The Anne Arundel County Council has approved a 30-year lease with the U.S. Navy to control the former 857-acre Naval Academy Dairy Farm in Gambrills.
The resolution approves the lease signing. An appropriations bill will be heard next week to approve payment for the first six months of rent, totaling $150,000.
“We?re basically getting pennies on the dollar for this land, compared to other farmland we are buying,” said Councilman Jamie Benoit, D-District 4.
About 80 percent of the farm would remain as is, while the county hopes to construct community produce gardens, a botanical garden and an education center on 150 acres.
A handful of residents from the neighboring Four Seasons community expressed concern about traffic congestion along Old Dairy Farm Road and Route 175.
“You have another 90 homes coming down the pipe [near the farm]. That traffic, along with people visiting the farm, is very concerning,” local resident Richard Berger said.
Vets bill passes
Veterans will now have greater access to Anne Arundel County jobs thanks to a law giving preference to those with a military background.
The bill, which passed unanimously, gives preference to veterans seeking public safety jobs such as police officers, firefighters and correctional officers ? half of those county jobs are held by veterans ? and allows for an automatic interview for veterans in other county positions.
The legislation is a compromised version after County Executive John R. Leopold scoffed at Councilman Jamie Benoit?s original bill that would award jobs to veterans given all other qualifications were equal.
Public safety positions are awarded based on a point system.
Vitale sworn in as chairwoman
Councilwoman Cathy Vitale, R-District 5, replaced Ronald Dillon Jr., R-District 3, as chairperson of the council at Monday?s meeting.
The council also elected Ed Reilly, R-District 7, as vice chairman. The council elects new leadership every December.
Dillon, 32, the youngest chairman elected to the council, said he enjoyed his term as the council?s leader.
“When Ron came on board, he looked like he was 18,” Reilly said as he gave Dillon a plaque. “Politics has taken its toll him. Now he looks at least 25.”
