With Erickson Retirement Communities backing out of plans that would have helped preserve Doughoregan Manor, county officials and preservationists are wondering how they can still save the historic Ellicott City site.

Erickson confirmed June 25 it was backing out of plans to build a campus-style senior community on about 150 acres of the 892-acre property that houses the 18th-century Doughoregan Manor estate. In September, the company had struck a deal with the Carroll family, which owns the estate, to develop part of it in exchange for the Carrolls preserving the original manor and at least 665 acres of adjacent land.

"It's very disappointing news," said Mary Catherine Cochran, president of Preservation Howard County. "It's hard to envision what other deal might be able to be put in place that would save most if not all of Doughoregan Manor."

The estate, located just south of Frederick Road where it meets Route 40, was once home to Charles Carroll -- a signer of the Declaration of Independence -- and has been in the Carroll family for nine generations. It is the only home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence to remain in the family's hands.

"It is regrettable that the current economic conditions have caused the Carroll family and Erickson Retirement Communities to agree that now is not the time to move forward with development plans for the Doughoregan Manor project," Wayne Rush, regional vice president of development for Erickson, said in a statement. "The project may -- or may not -- be revisited based on future decisions and assessments of the two parties."

Erickson had planned to build 1,500 independent-living units, 128 assisted-living units and 96 nursing units, divided into three neighborhoods, on 153 acres. The Catonsville-based company also submitted a proposal to county officials earlier this year to create a new zoning category for "continuing care retirement communities" to accommodate those plans.

Camilla Carroll, who owns the manor along with her brother Phillip, said through e-mail that she was disappointed the deal fell apart.

"The Carrolls are again looking at all the options they were looking at before the agreement existed, and they remain optimistic that their goals of limited development and preservation of the majority of land and restoration of the historic buildings can still be met," she said in an e-mail.

County Executive Kenneth Ulman said he hoped the Carroll family's request to have about 500 acres of their property put in agricultural preservation will not be affected. (See related story)

"We had been talking all along about a situation that made sense for them and the county," Ulman said. "It's a priority of ours to see as much of that property in preservation as possible."

Ulman said he hoped, as part of any deal, that the family would be able to continue to preserve the historic manor house and surrounding buildings. Doughoregan Manor is a National Historic Landmark and has been on Preservation Howard County's list of endangered historic sites for the past four years. (See related story)

Preservation Howard's Cochran said that without Erickson, state or federal resources might be needed in order to ensure the estate is preserved.

"It's arguably one of the most unique historic sites in the country that's endangered," she said. "Once it's lost, it's lost."

End of 'win-win solution'

County Council member Courtney Watson, who represents the district that includes Doughoregan, agreed the Erickson deal was a perfect solution to the problem of how to preserve the manor. By selling a portion of the land for the Erickson development, it gave the family the money it needed without putting an undue strain on the community, she said.

Erickson's residents would not have used the school system and they were expected to have less of an impact on local roads because many of the residents would not drive or would be able to take care of some of their needs on site. Additionally, the county has a need for more continuing care facilities like Erickson, she said.

"It was kind of a win-win solution," she said. "That's why it's unfortunate that it's not going to work. We did everything we could do ... it was clear the economy will not allow the deal to happen."

The family could, by right, develop hundreds of single-family homes on the land under its current zoning, Watson said. Although the family has not indicated a desire to pursue that type of development, time is of the essence in finding a solution, she said.

"They remain committed to preserving the majority of the land, but they're running out of time and running out of options," Watson said.

Development buffer

Doughoregan Manor is on the edge of the county's boundary for water and sewer service, and preserving a large part of the land was seen by some county officials as a way to create a buffer against future development in western Howard County.

The Erickson deal was the culmination of years-long talks between the family and the county to find a way to preserve the land. A 30-year historic easement on the property expired in May 2007 and a 2006 county proposal to buy the development rights to the land for $24 million was rejected by the family.

The family previously said the Erickson deal would have laid the groundwork to enable them to preserve the manor indefinitely while having as minimal an impact as possible on the estate. High estate taxes that would be levied if one of the siblings died unexpectedly could force them to sell the property; the money from the deal would have prevented that and allowed them to repair and maintain buildings on the land.

The family, through a spokesman, previously said they would be willing to open the property to the public in the future, but not while family members are living there, as they do now.

As part of the deal, the family said they would donate 36 acres to the county, which was to go to expanding Kiwanis-Wallis Park, including new ball fields and a playground.

Watson said that if the county does allow the Carrolls to receive agricultural preservation money, there should be a public benefit. Donating the land for the park could fulfill that need, she said.

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