press


Neighbors continue push on Belmont future
Assurances sought on plans by officials to develop the conference center property

Sandy Alexander, Baltimore Sun reporter
Originally published January 15, 2006

As Howard Community College completes its master plan for the Belmont Conference Center in Elkridge, neighbors of the historic property continue to push for more assurances about how it will be used in the future.

The master plan, required by the Maryland Higher Education Commission every five years, lays out a vision for the bucolic property, which includes 68 acres surrounded by state park land, a manor house dating to 1738 and several additional buildings.

The location has been a conference center since 1964. Howard Community College Educational Foundation purchased it in 2004 and arranged for the college to manage it.

Community members seeking to minimize changes to the site have been scrutinizing the college's plans since Belmont was sold.

At a public meeting Thursday night attended by about 60 people, individuals asked for concrete business plans, requested details about the mortgage (which is held by the educational foundation and not public) and questioned how each aspect of the plan fit in with easements restricting construction on the property.

The easement, administered by the Maryland Historical Trust, forbids building in an area around the manor house and restricts other construction on the property to that which is necessary to maintain the financial viability of Belmont.

Belmont is one of "the unique things in Howard County," said Nessly Craig, who lives on Belmont Woods Road. "There is a difference of opinion if the two missions [Belmont's and the college's] can be the same, or if Belmont is special."

The master plan aims to add amenities for clients, expand the ability to hold events, create opportunities for students to learn from the Belmont operations and offer more chances for the public to enjoy the site, according to college administrators.

The latest version outlines several immediate projects, including renovations to the carriage house and barn -- which would add a kitchen, dining room, classroom and meeting space -- and the addition of pavers to the garden to improve outdoor events.

An inn with 40 more guest rooms, a spa and other amenities are planned in the near future.

Longer-term plans include a conservatory building for large events and a new building for studying environmental technology.

Compared with the previous version, in which a building, road and parking lot were to be located near the front of the manor house, "I think some progress has been made," said Tyler Gearhart, executive director of Preservation Maryland, at the meeting. "My concern still is the ratio of new construction to old construction."

The renovations and the inn would add 31,000 square feet, about doubling the current space, said Matthew D'Amico, a consultant with Design Collective who is leading the planning process. The full plan would add 90,000 to 118,000 square feet, he said.

"To me, the focus should be on the current buildings," Gearhart said.

Meg Schumacher, who lives on Belmont Woods Road, said the community "has agreed with the need for more bedrooms up there." She also said people seem generally to support the renovation of existing buildings.

But, she said, the college should not spend time and money planning for buildings that are not going to be consistent with the easement. Things such as the green technology building "are not needed to make Belmont viable," she said.

The master plan is "very conceptual," said Randy Bengfort, a spokesman for the college. "Each building would need to be fully fleshed out and designed."

That process, he said, would include making the case to the Historical Trust that the projects fit within the easements.

Bengfort said funding is being sought for the proposed projects and could come from state, county or private sources, grants, revenue or student fees. One principle, he said, was to increase the revenue at the conference center and make sure that "every dollar raised at Belmont stays at Belmont."

The goal, he said, "is to secure a solid future for Belmont and allow more of the community to experience it."

People at the meeting also expressed concerns about a new access road that would connect to Landing Road using an existing right-of-way through state park land. The site is reached by Belmont Woods Road, a narrow, unlined, private road.

The college is exploring whether it can connect the new road to a development being planned on Landing Road to reduce the amount of disruption to the forested area, D'Amico said.

Anne Johnson, general manager of Belmont, said a plan for the new road is more economically viable than expanding Belmont Woods Road, particularly factoring in the ability to also run public water and sewer lines to the property, which she said are badly needed.

Johnson said a study indicated that implementation of the full master plan would result in 800 more trips a day on Landing Road, and that consultants said such a number would not make a significant impact.

Residents of Landing Road have complained that it is too crowded and the site of accidents.

Information on Belmont and the master plan is available online at www.belmontcenter.com.