Carroll County Farmer's Vision Realized in Proposed 100-Acre Park

Howard Leister farmed his land off Black Rock Road in Hampstead for close to 50 years. In 2003 he sold 99 acres, valued at the time at $2.2 million, to the county for $1.1 million, with the caveat that it would be used to develop a park.

In a 2003 Baltimore Sun article, Mary Gail Hare reported that Leister “treasures the view from his back porch–fenced green pastures surrounding a rustic red barn and a glistening pond–and wants to preserve it for future generations.”

Since selling the farmland to the county, Leister has died and the home and barn have been torn down, though the pond remains.

Jeff Degitz, administrator of Carroll County Parks and Recreation, hopes that sooner rather than later there will be playgrounds, walking trails, athletic fields, picnic tables and pavilions in place of the old dwellings.  Phase II of park construction may include a gymnasium although Degitz said that will depend on funding down the line.

“We have completed the planning and design process. We are ready to go to bid (for construction)," Degitz said. "It’s just a question of moving forward at this point.”

Plans for the park, located at 4134 Black Rock Rd. in Hampstead, are on hold until the new Board of County Commissioners reviews all capital projects, but funding for the park has already been designated, so it should move forward, just on a longer timetable, said Degitz. 

He said the park is funded primarily by Project Open Space dollars, a program in which one-half of every one percent of the transfer tax on every real estate transaction in the state of Maryland goes into a fund designated for parkland acquisition and development. The state divides and distributes the funds to individual counties, Degitz said.

The program does require a match, but only 10 percent, with Open Space funding up to 90 percent of a project.

“Some local tax dollars might go into the project but a majority of the funding will come from impact fees and Open Space,” Degitz said. “In fact, virtually every park in Carroll County has been built using Open Space funds. It highlights the importance of Project Open Space to counties.”

One hurdle to opening the athletic field portion of the park is access to roadways, Degitz said.

“The state said we would need to do some significant road improvements to prepare for the park, to the tune of $400,000 - $500,000. We do not have a budget for that,” he said.

Degitz said the county would evaluate the road situation at a later date. Right now the goal is to move forward with constructing the passive elements in the park – pavilions, walking paths, playground and picnic tables, he said.

The roads will have to be dealt with before the athletic fields can be opened for organized sport use, Degitz said.

The idea for a park in the North Carroll area surfaced in the 1990’s. Degitz said the Department of Parks and Recreation had gotten a number of requests for a  park in the area, similar to Piney Run Park which has walking trails, fishing, pavillions and picnic areas. 

“We were fortunate to come across Howard Leister who was interested in seeing the property preserved and to be used as a park,” Degitz said.

According to Degitz, the time of year and weather will determine how long it takes to complete park construction and to set an opening date.

In the 2003 Baltimore Sun article, Leister said, "I didn't want to see houses here," he said. "I've got my life here in this farm, and I wanted something for the future, something to be remembered by. The park means my name will stay here for a long time after I go."

“It will be a beautiful park at a great location," said Degitz. "It fits right in with Leister’s vision to have open space -- parkland, surrounded by homes and development.”