Politics & Government

County Needs More Time on Belmont Estate Purchase

The time frame for purchasing the Belmont estate in Elkridge has been extended, say officials.

Howard County’s purchase of an historic property in Elkridge is taking longer than government officials anticipated.

In June 2011, Howard County  to purchase the Belmont estate from owner Howard Community College (HCC).

The estate includes several houses and a barn on more than 80 acres of land at the end of Belmont Woods Road in Elkridge. The home was built in the 1730s by Caleb Dorsey, who ran a local iron business.

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On Sept. 7, 2011, Howard County  with current owner HCC to purchase Belmont.

From that date, the county had a 90-day assessment period followed by a 30-day window in which to settle on the property.

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The 90-day assessment period ended Jan. 5, 2012.

A government spokesperson said that research on the historic property is not complete and that HCC has granted the county more time for review.

“The county asked for a 45-day extension to continue its due diligence study of the environmental condition of the property,” said Kevin Enright, spokesman for Howard County government, in an email to Elkridge Patch on Jan. 4.

"Processes like these take a while," said Nancy Gainer, spokeswoman for HCC, in an email to Elkridge Patch on Jan. 5.

The extension period ends Jan. 20, according to Enright.

Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the parties would have to close on the property by Feb. 19.


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