The Prince George’s County Council won reprieves from development for farm land and soon may have another option to preserve key agricultural parcels in the path of encroaching development.
The council members voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend that the state designate about 280 acres of land split between three properties as agricultural preservation districts. The final decision on whether to grant the land preservation district status will come next week at a meeting of the board of trustees of the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation which meets next week.
More than 190 acres belong to Hedy Pirner, who once grew tobacco on the Baden-Brandywine farm but now rents the acreage to a neighbor who plants corn and soybeans. The remaining land is in Cheltenham and is owned by Charles Hayden and Cheltenham Property.
The Council also heard a proposal to create a county-run purchase of development rights program to acquire the conservation easements of agricultural land.
As proposed, the program will allow owners of agricultural parcels larger than 35 acres to sell conservation easements to the county. Smaller parcels would be considered depending on their location, natural resources and public value.
