3P’s Conditional Letter of Support for Horse Training Facility in Perryman

The 3P Protect Perryman Peninsula Steering Committee sent the following letter to the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority on July 10 to express excitement and conditional support for the proposed horse training facility in Perryman, Maryland. Our support is contingent on preserving the surrounding 500 acres of the 700-acre Mitchell Farm as equestrian and heritage parkland. We emphasize the community’s historical significance, environmental sensitivity, and opposition to industrial development, particularly a proposed freight terminal project by Chesapeake Real Estate Group, which would be incompatible and illegal with residential areas and harmful to local water supplies and tranquility. We urge the Maryland Stadium Authority to proceed with the horse training facility only if the remaining land is preserved, ensuring a healthier environment for equine training and safeguarding the community’s heritage and environment.

July 10, 2024

Mr. Craig A. Thompson
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Maryland Stadium Authority
33 W Camden St #500
Baltimore, MD 21201

Mr. Greg Cross
Chairman of the Board
Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority
750 E Pratt St #900
Baltimore, MD 21202

Via Electronic Delivery

RE: Support for Horse Training Facility in Perryman, MD – Conditional on Preservation of Surrounding Lands

Dear Dear Mr. Thompson and Mr. Cross:

We hope this letter finds you well. On behalf of the 3P Protect Perryman Peninsula Steering Committee, we are writing to express our excitement and conditional support regarding the proposed horse training facility in Perryman, Maryland.

We understand that our Perryman community is a leading site location candidate for the Authority’s horse training facility.  Toward this end, we understand that County Executive Bob Cassilly, the Harford County Council, and local district representative Jacob Bennett have all submitted letters of support for this initiative. The Perryman community is excited to be under consideration for selection for the Horse Training Facility. This development presents a significant opportunity to enhance the local economy, preserve valuable land, and create a premier equine training environment.

3P Protect Perryman Peninsula Support with Conditions

3P Protect Perryman Peninsula (3P), representing the Perryman community of over a dozen neighborhoods and more than 700 homes, supports the proposal to bring the horse training facility to Perryman, contingent upon the preservation of the surrounding lands. The Mitchell Farm spans approximately 700 acres, and it is our understanding that the horse training facility will occupy less than 200 acres. Our vision for the remaining 500 acres includes setting them aside as equestrian and heritage parkland. This aligns with our commitment to environmental stewardship and historical preservation, providing an ideal environment for the Perryman community and equine training and welfare.

Preservation and Heritage

The Perryman community and our grassroots and environmental action group, 3P, has been working to bring awareness to the area’s rich history and environmental sensitivity which make it an excellent location for an educational facility exploring the heritage of Harford County and Maryland.  The 3P website provides valuable information about the history of Perryman, a region older than all of Harford County, originally home to old Baltimore. These fields were historically used as a port for the slave trade and were worked by Africans held in servitude.

Environmental and Community Impact

In 2021, a larger, multi-building, freight terminal project was first proposed for the Mitchell Farm.  For the past 30 years, the community has asserted that industrial development is inappropriate and incompatible with the existing residential properties. We view the horse training facility as a compatible use with the rural residential housing in and around the area, but we do not believe that freight terminals, with their associated pollution, are compatible with a future thoroughbred training center or the existing rural residential homes.

Concerns Over Industrialization

We have been informed that the Chesapeake Real Estate Group, the proposed developer of the Mitchell Farm freight terminal project, has submitted a bid on the training facility which includes plans to pave the remaining 500 acres for freight terminals. This expansion of the horse training center concept to support the controversial and potentially illegal freight terminal project is deeply concerning, as the acres in question are currently surrounded by residential housing. The peacefulness and quiet of the Mitchell Farm, as well as the pristine quality of the aquifer—which currently supports 30% of Harford County’s drinking water—are invaluable assets. Introducing freight terminals would not only introduce significant noise pollution, which could disrupt the tranquility essential for horse training, but also risk contaminating both the private and public water supplies with runoff from 500 acres of asphalt and petrochemicals.

As highlighted in our Environmental Justice report, “Turning the Tide: Perryman’s Path from Sacrifice Zone to Sustainable Community for a Healthier Chesapeake Bay” (February 2024), “the proposed mega-warehouse/freight terminal development puts this delicate balance at risk.” The industrialization of the remaining 500 acres would significantly undermine the environmental integrity of the area, posing severe risks to both human and equine health due to increased pollution.

Conclusion

We urge the Maryland Stadium Authority to consider the broader implications of this development. The horse training facility should proceed only if the surrounding lands are preserved and not converted into an industrial zone. This approach will not only protect the community’s heritage and environment but also ensure the compatibility of the training facility with the existing rural residential homes.

By working together to preserve the remaining farmland as open space for crop development, we can significantly reduce the horses’ exposure to harmful truck emissions and particulate matter, ensuring a healthier environment for equine training and welfare.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to working collaboratively to achieve a solution that benefits all stakeholders while preserving the unique character and heritage of Perryman.

Sincerely,

Paul Fallace, Glenn Gillis, and Leigh Maddox
3P Protect Perryman Peninsula Steering Committee

CC:
Mr. Michael Frenz, Executive Director, Maryland Stadium Authority
Mr. Marc Broady, Executive Director, Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority
Mr. Eric Johnson, Senior Vice President, Maryland Stadium Authority
Mr. Gary McGuigan, Executive Vice President, Maryland Stadium Authority
The Honorable Brooke Lierman, Maryland Comptroller
The Honorable Bob Cassilly, Harford County Executive
The Honorable Patrick Vincenti, Harford County Council President
The Honorable Jacob Bennett, Harford County Councilman, District F
The Honorable Dion Guthrie, Harford County Councilman, District A
The Honorable Tony Giangiordano, Harford County Councilman, District C
The Honorable James Reilly, Harford County Councilman, District D
The Honorable Mary Dulaney James, Maryland Senate, District 34
The Honorable Andre Johnson, Maryland Delegate, District 34A
The Honorable Steve Johnson, Maryland Delegate, District 34A
Steering Committee, 3P Protect Perryman Peninsula
Dr. Ellen Cianelli, President, Perryman Peninsula Preservation Project (4P)
Ms. Tracey Waite, Co-President, Harford County Climate Action
℅ Save Abingdon Woods Coalition
Ms. Pam Dehmer, Co-President, Harford County Climate Action