Residents of the Governors Run and Linwood neighborhoods in Ellicott City this week said they welcome County Executive Kenneth Ulman's decision to hold onto a 26-acre parcel in their community that was previously proposed for sale.

Earlier this week, Ulman backed away from a plan to sell 26 acres of county-owned property on Martha Bush Drive, near the District Court, because the plan was unpopular with residents, he said.

Ulman had proposed selling the parcel, along with two other county-owned properties, to help finance his $45 million plan to renovate existing county offices.

But after receiving dozens of e-mails from residents and listening to the concerns of members of the County Council, Ulman decided to reevaluate his plan, he said May 20.

"It wasn't easy but we were able to take another look at it," he said.

About 30 residents attended the council's May 19 public hearing to speak on the matter.

Governors Run resident Craig Shearman told the council that he believes the plot provides much-needed open space in his community, and that permissive zoning on the land caused him to worry that the parcel might be developed in a way that residents found objectionable.

Earlier that day, Ulman submitted to the council a request to amend his proposed $420.8 million capital budget for the coming fiscal year in order to reflect his decision not to sell the Martha Bush land.

The council is slated to vote on the budget May 22. Fiscal year 2009 begins July 1.

Office plan is still go

Ulman added this week that he intended to forge ahead with other aspects of his plan to reorganize county offices, including putting up for sale a county-owned 25-acre parcel near the intersection of Route 40 and Rogers Avenue in Ellicott City and the site of the former Gateway School on Route 108 in Clarksville.

The sale of the properties would help finance the plan, which also includes the renovation of some existing office buildings and the purchase of new office condos that are planned for construction in the Oakland Mills Village Center.

The Rogers Avenue parcel is appraised at $9 million, while officials estimate the Gateway School site to be worth $8 million, Public Works director James Irvin said, adding that the Martha Bush land was appraised at $4 million.

A higher-than-anticipated appraisal of the Rogers Avenue land helped him remove the Martha Bush land from his plan, Ulman said this week.

At the May 19 hearing, several residents told the council to hold onto both of the Ellicott City parcels.

Representatives of the Howard County Citizens Association and the League of Women Voters said their groups believe the parcels might be needed for government uses.

Barbara Schnackenberg, co-president of the League of Women Voters, said her group opposes the sale until a comprehensive plan for county office and courthouse space is developed.

"Why would the county consider selling undeveloped land closely adjacent to the current county seat of government?" she said. "Certainly we are looking to consolidate the scattered sites of local government."

E-mail Jennifer Broadwater at jbroadwater@patuxent.com.

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