What's Happening in Catonsville, MD…

Herbert Run, a wooded property comprising 6.75 acres in Catonsville, is now under the management of NeighborSpace, a nonprofit organization. This is the first Catonsville property managed by the trust.

NeighborSpace, which is a volunteer-run organization that aims to preserve and protect land within the county's Urban Rural Demarcation Line, takes over from fellow nonprofit Dunmore Land Holding, Inc. Dunmore was set up in the 1960s by people who did not want town homes built on the Herbert Run property.

Dunmore board member Cliff Palmer described NeighborSpace as “better resourced” than his group, and that he trusts it to do the right thing and continue to protect the property from development. He added that while his group, originally started by homeowners, has been effective, its members no longer had the time to adequately manage the Herbert Run property, so it turned to NeighborSpace.

Some residents who live close to property known as the Saw Mill Branch, however, expressed a preference for the county to retain ownership, but Kevin Kamenetz, the county executive, says the county will transfer ownership to NeighborSpace. NeighborSpace executive director Barbara Hopkins has stated the organization is committed to protecting both areas from development.

Groups like NeighborSpace often consider working with brochure printers to create a mailer for residents in the areas, reiterating their commitment to protecting the properties.