Towson property sale approved at reduced price

A divided Baltimore County Council voted Monday to sell a controversial county-owned property to a private developer at a steeply discounted price. Under the deal, Towson-based Caves Valley Partners will buy a parcel at the corner of York Road and Bosley Avenue for $6.9 million — although the company will only directly pay about $5 million as part of the complex contract. That’s significantly less than the original purchase price of $8.3 million. The vote was 4-3 — a rare split for the council — with council members Vicki Almond, Todd Crandell and WadeKach voting against the revised contract. Council Chairman Julian Jones and council members Cathy Bevins, David Marks and Tom Quirk voted in favor. The property, considered by some to be a “gateway” site into downtown Towson, has been a source of controversy since County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced plans to sell it for private development in 2012. The property has housed a fire station and public works yard. Caves Valley Partners was the winning bidder, offering the $8.3 million with plans to build a Royal Farms gas station and convenience store, as well as two buildings for retail development. Many residents argued that a gas station and convenience store would be incompatible with the site. Some also expressed environmental concerns. Last summer, Caves Valley agreed to abandon the Royal Farms proposal. Caves Valley also renegotiated the sale price with the county, on the grounds that the property would be less valuable without a gas station. They agreed to a new price of about $6.9 million, but Caves Valley will receive credit toward $1.9 million of the purchase price by foregoing future property tax credits it would be eligible for by revitalizing a downtown property. Kamenetz has declined repeated interview requests on the deal, including on Monday. charged with assaulting one of the officers and taken to jail, where he was assaulted, according to the case summary. The charges against him were ultimately dropped. The city’s lawyers concluded that the best interest of the city would be served by approving the settlement with Hand. State poison control officials warned people to avoid synthetic marijuana after a fourth person was hospitalized Monday for extreme bleeding after using it. The victim, from Western Maryland, followed two other cases in central Maryland early Saturday morning, according to officials with the Maryland Poison Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. It is the fourth case in Maryland this month.