Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

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Mission Statement
Conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore.

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Centreville Tag

Reimagining Chesterfield (Carter Farm) Community Meeting

SHARE YOUR DREAMS FOR A VIBRANT Centreville! Residents will want to attend Tuesday's community meeting at theWye River Upper School from 6-8pm as we 'Reimagine Chesterfield (Carter Farm)'! We've enlisted speaker Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute - nationally known as a thought-provoking & leading authority on topics such as the links between health and the built environment, sustainable development, land conservation, smart growth, and historic preservation. This is an interactive workshop and community input is wanted. Mr. McMahon has traveled the country/world and will share inspirational examples of effective town development strategies. We hope to see many of you there! More on Mr. McMahon and his credentials may be found here.

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“ESLC Wants to Think Big and Smart with Historic Chesterfield (Carter Farm) in Centreville”

(This is an article and video interview that was published in The Chestertown Spy on May 30, 2016.) If there was a plot of land that combines the importance of history, conservation, land use and the dreams of a new Centreville it undoubtedly would be the Carter Farm on Chesterfield Road. Owned for decades by the late Judge Clayton Carter, the 72-acre property is now actively being considered as a top priority project of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. It is not hard to understand why the ESLC is seriously considering the two sites for both open space and smart growth residential use. The farm and house are located only a few minutes walk from Centreville’s historic downtown but has been zoned to accommodate 132 new homes if entirely built out. As the ESLC’s Center for Towns director, Katie Parks, notes in her interview with the Spy, ESLC is eager to work with a multitude of different community stakeholders to look hard and long at how the site can best be developed over the next few years. If a consensus can be created, ESLC and the greater Centreville community might indeed have the beginnings of a transformational scheme for rural towns on the Mid-Shore. This video is approximately five minutes in length.

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Reimagining Carter Farm, Centreville

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) has worked since 1990 to preserve and sustain the communities of the Eastern Shore, and the lands and waters that connect them.  Toward this mission, we have helped protect over 57,000 acres of prime agricultural and natural lands, which in partnership with other conservation efforts means nearly a quarter of our rural lands are protected.  More recently, ESLC launched a program called the Center for Towns that endeavors to provide support and actions that help advance our region’s small towns as strong, vibrant, and well-defined places. From this lens of growing strong small towns, ESLC views the development of the Carter Farm as one of the most important opportunities that exists for growing a vibrant Centreville.  The Carter Farm is an approximately 72 acre site comprised of two parcels in Centreville, Maryland.  The properties, currently zoned for residential development with an approved 138 unit subdivision, include a mix of open field and forested land in the Critical Area. After nearly two decades of interest, ESLC has secured a six-month option to purchase the properties.  Our goal during the next six-months is to allow for a community visioning and transparent public process, creation of a set of criteria and performance standards for future development, and development of a master plan that incorporates protection of natural features while supporting development that is consistent with the scale, pace and character of Centreville. In addition to public input, we will work with renowned design and development professionals, to generate ideas and innovations that can help make this project design a valuable asset for the Centreville community. While we are working towards a more determinant vision, we will be considering long-term impacts for Centreville, connection and value to the full community, connectivity and transportation, environmental protection, and public access.  Preliminary ideas include leveraging

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Recent Posts

  • Roots Monthly Giving Spotlight: Amanda Thornley
  • Big Changes on the Horizon for the CREP Easement Program
  • Trails Get a Boost Across the Shore
  • Seven Legislative Efforts That Could Impact Eastern Shore Land Use and Preservation
  • Land Protection for All
  • Board Spotlight: Jules Hendrix
  • New Regional Trail Map Shows Existing and Potential Trails for a Growing Network
  • Saving Maryland’s Tidal Salt Marshes
  • From the President: The Eastern Shore’s Most Urgent Conservation Need in 2024
  • Review: ESLC Forests and Forestry Workshop
  • Volunteer Spotlight: Roger Bollman
  • Where the Wood Drake Rests: Wetland Restoration & Conservation on the Eastern Shore
  • ESLC Partners with Urban 3 to Study Eastern Shore Land Use
  • 106 Acres Protected Forever in Quaker Neck, Kent County
  • An Autumn Stroll at Bohemia River State Park