Hayden Farm

A 172-acre site, known as the Hayden Farm, was purchased by St. Mary's County Government for a new elementary school and other public facilities. The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County approved the purchase for $5,259,500 at a meeting on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2008. The vote was 4-1 with Larry Jarboe (R) dissenting. Jarboe is quoted as saying, "I do not believe this is right. This stinks more than a whole bushel of rotten crabs."

The site actually consists of four parcels of land.

The subject property is located just outside the incorporated town of Leonardtown, west of Hollywood Leonardtown Road (Md. State Route 245), on Hayden Farm Lane, in the Leonardtown Development District. The property is located within a mile of the County Courthouse in Leonardtown and approximately twelve miles west of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

Timeline

• 2007 July 16 -- Appraisal submitted by Gatewood Company.
• 2008 Dec 24 -- Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County approved the purchase for $5,259,500 at a meeting.
• 2009 April 7 -- Public meeting to discuss Master Plan for the site.

Interactive Map

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Appraisals

Two appraisals for the site were performed. One by Gatewood Company, Inc. of Waldorf, submitted July 16, 2007 and the second by submitted .

Gatewood Company Appraisal

Tract	Parcel	Market Value
A	Parcel 339-outparcel A 89.56 ac, zoned RL	$1,750,000
B	78.92 ac, zoned RPD	$1,250,000
C	339-Lot 1 1.06 ac w/Residence	$247,000
D	225 1.69 ac w/Residence	$365,000

News Articles

• JASON BABCOCK and JESSE YEATMAN, "County buys 172 acres for schools, library," Enterprise, Dec. 26, 2008, http://www.somdnews.com/stories/12262008/entetop110342_32179.shtml

Op-Eds

• "Why what could be a good deal smells bad," Enterprise, Jan. 23, 2009, http://www.somdnews.com/stories/01232009/enteedi103226_32223.shtml