Politics & Government

Community Leaders Seek More Restrictive Fairgrounds Zoning

Third District Councilman Todd Huff is seeking a compromise.

Some Timonium community leaders believe they were misled in 2008 during the comprehensive rezoning process.

A last-minute zoning provision, filed by then-Baltimore County Councilman Bryan McIntyre, gave the an upgrade of 60 acres of business roadside classification. The classification gives the fairgrounds the right to develop the property.

“We were shocked on the night of the rezoning vote that he changed 60 acres instead of 15,” said Eric Rockel, Greater Timonium Community Association president.

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Initially, leaders thought that Fasig-Tipton, the fairgrounds' horse sale business, needed the 15 acres to build additional stables and barns. 

“There was a lot of excuses, but we said we wanted to see this made right,” Rockel said. “[McIntyre] acknowledged that he wanted to do something, but it never came to fruition by the end of his term.”

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Rockel has filed a rezoning request to restore the fairgrounds property to a manufacturing heavy, rather than business heavy classification.

Now freshman is involved in the dispute.

Huff has met with both parties and is now researching alternative zoning designations that would “allow the fairgrounds to operate as it has been … and protect the community from unwanted building,” Huff said.

Some Timonium residents fear that the fairgrounds could one day choose to develop the entire property, adding traffic issues and unwanted patrons to the community.

“We don’t object to the current things that the fairgrounds does. … But having a convention center or a slots emporium would draw crazy traffic to the area and you’d have storm water management issues,” Rockel said. “They are great neighbors as they currently exist. … But the current hierarchy at the fairgrounds might not be there forever.”

confirmed that they have routinely received offers from developers. He asserted, however, that they haven’t been approached by anyone since the property was rezoned in 2008.

“There’s nothing waiting in the wings for us to do this thing now that the zoning has changed,” Mosner said. “We hope that we’ll have something that will work for us and make the community feel comfortable.”

Mosner said that it was by the county’s recommendation that the property needed to be rezoned in 2008 in order to legally accommodate its current horse sale operation, as well as the weekly, large scale events it hosts.

You can view Baltimore County's current comrehensive rezoning requests in your area, here


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