After extensive efforts by 3P Protect Perryman Peninsula, alongside Harford County and State representatives, to secure the Thoroughbred Horse Training Facility for Harford County, the Maryland Thoroughbred Racing Operators Association (MTROA) has selected a site in Carroll County. This outcome is a tremendous loss for Harford County, its businesses, and its residents.
Responsibility for this failure rests squarely on the shoulders of the Mitchell Farm developers—Chesapeake Real Estate Group (CREG), the Mitchell Company, and Prologis. These developers attempted to exploit strong community and County support for the horse training facility to push their illegal 800,000-square-foot freight terminal project and future industrial development.
Their tactics were clear: tie the training facility to an unlawful mega-warehouse project that blatantly violated zoning laws. This coercion undermined the opportunity for a critical and community-backed use of the land and put the developers’ profits ahead of the County’s well-being.
“This decision reaffirms what we’ve said all along,” said Paul Fallace, President of 3P Protect Perryman Peninsula. “The developers tried to force the community and County into a false choice: accept industrial overreach or lose the training facility. Harford County refused to be bullied—and rightly so.”
3P Protect Perryman Peninsula Reaffirms Its Position:
- Appropriate Land Use Benefits All Stakeholders. The Thoroughbred Training Facility would have met the criteria of responsible, community-supported development. Instead, the developers jeopardized this opportunity to push illegal industrial expansion at the community’s expense.
- A United Community Stood Strong. The developers’ “all or nothing” ultimatum failed because Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly, Council representative Jacob Bennett, several other Council members, and the Perryman community stood firm. Together, we rejected environmental degradation and industrial overreach that threatened our county’s future.
- Time for Clear Action to Protect Perryman. While this decision is a loss, Perryman remains protected—for now—from harmful industrial development. This moment calls for decisive action. Zoning and land use plans must be updated to ensure industrial development is no longer a looming threat for this land. Without such protections, the developers will continue to exploit the County and the community with tactics that prioritize profit over people.
“It’s time to act,” Fallace continued. “The Mitchell Farm land should be preserved for responsible, community-backed use—whether through a state park designation or other appropriate development. The land’s future must align with the values of Harford County, not the financial interests of out-of-town developers.”
3P Protect Perryman Peninsula remains committed to advocating for land use that balances community needs, environmental integrity, and responsible development.
