County officials focus on heritage with restoration tax credit, easement and a farm report

Tamela Baker, The Herald-Mail
·4 min read

While it might seem lately that Washington County has been one big construction project, historic preservation and the county's most enduring traditional industry were on the minds of county officials this week.

Historic preservation tax credits grow

Following a public hearing Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners approved a revision to the county's historic properties tax credit ordinance that will raise the available real property tax credits for restoration or preservation of these properties from 10% to 25% of the rehabilitation expense, the maximum allowed under state law.

The credit is available to structures that meet the ordinance's historic properties criteria for work including:

  • roof repair and replacement

  • chimney repair and replacement

  • window restoration

  • new storm doors or windows

  • masonry repointing

  • floor refinishing

  • structural repairs

  • plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems

  • architectural, engineering and consulting fees

  • tool and equipment rental

Expenses for safety — sprinkler systems, etc. — or American Disabilities Act improvements could also qualify.

The 5% credit for expenses for compatible new construction on historic properties has not changed.

The updates also expand opportunities for municipalities and "rural villages" to participate in the program, said Meghan Jenkins, who serves as the historic preservation planner for the county.

"This ordinance update is … part of a package meant to ensure historic resources, and the estimated $450 million per year heritage tourism industry that they contribute to, continue to thrive in the county," she said.

John Williamson, who lives in Hagerstown's Oak Hill Historic District, told the commissioners "it's difficult to find people who work on historic structures, and they're not cheap. And so these tax credits really will incentivize people to do this work that they may not do otherwise.

"These are important structures to Hagerstown and Washington County, and I think it's important that you all incentivize it."

Andrew Eshleman, who serves as the county's public works director but was speaking Tuesday as the owner of an historic home, urged the commissioners to make the change. "I support the approach to apply an incentive-based program to historic preservation, rather than a punitive one, that protects private property rights," he said. "Owning an historic property comes with many challenges … like always needing to fix something, but it can also be rewarding when things come together and are done right.

"Historic properties are living testimonies to the perseverance of early settlers and community leaders who established Washington County and helped create our unique cultural identity."

But Eshleman said he had not used the tax credit in the past because he "found the benefit to not be worth the administrative effort and time lost."

Commissioners add to Rural Legacy land preservation, approve a 'rural business' zone

49 more acres preserved

The commissioners also agreed Tuesday to use $184,459 in state funds allotted to the county to preserve 49.5 acres of agricultural and woodland property on Dellinger Road southeast of Williamsport. The money comes from a $3.1 million the county received for this year from the Rural Legacy Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Rural Preservation Administrator Chris Boggs said the property was "heavily trafficked" during the Civil War, and adds to a block of more than 100 acres of farmland preserved near Antietam National Battlefield and Williamsport. The easement eliminates 11 development rights on the property, he said.

If you love our rural heritage, you can help keep it viable

Farming is big business

And speaking of agriculture, the commissioners heard from a member of the county's Business and Economic Development staff that farming is alive and well in Washington County.

Leslie Hart, business development specialist for agriculture, presented the results of a five-year census report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showing a boost in local farming from 2017 to 2022.

The market value of agricultural products sold rose from $153.5 million in 2017 to $167.9 million in 2022, she said. That's an 8.4% increase.

In fact, the numbers were up in nearly every category:

  • Farming acres grew from 119,248 in 2017 to 121,251 in 2022

  • Average income per farm rose from $175,285 to $193,219, a 9% increase

  • While the number of pork-producing farms fell by 25 (60 to 35), the number of hogs actually rose from 2,191 to 3,497

  • There were four more beef-producing farms in 2022 than 2017, but the number of beef cattle fell from 7,202 to 7,068

  • The number of dairy farms dropped by 33 (127 to 94) and the number of dairy cattle fell from 13,023 to 10,815. But Washington County still has the largest inventory of beef and dairy cattle in the state, Hart said, and is the state's largest producer of milk

  • There was one more fruit-producing farm in 2022 than in 2017; acreage producing fruit grew from 1,274 to 1,464

  • The number of flower farms more than quadrupled, growing from three in 2017 to 14 in 2022

  • The number of Christmas tree farms grew by two (from five to seven); the number of soybean-producing farms grew by six (206 to 212). Acres producing soybeans rose from 18,978 to 20,445

  • Farm production expenses rose, too, by 4%

Overall, the number of farms in Washington County fell by 1%, Hart said, from 877 to 869.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Ag numbers rise in Washington County, and preservation gets a boost