The Baltimore County Council recently preserved the second of two properties in Towson that will advance the Six Bridge Trail on Worthington Road, said County Councilman David Marks.
The county acquired the property, a 0.4-acre site at 323 Worthington Road along with a neighboring parcel, for $637,500.
The site will serve as open space along the trail that runs parallel to the Herring Run watershed, a roughly 11-mile tributary of the Back River that begins in Baltimore County and winds through Towson before opening up into Baltimore City and ending at the Back River.
Marks said he is “extremely” happy with the new acquisition, which was approved by the County Council at its Nov. 15 meeting.
“It culminates nearly nine years of discussions about the future of this and the other landlocked property. There is also money in the fiscal year 2022 budget to develop a feasibility study for the trail network,” Marks said.
Marks, a Republican who represents Towson, previously said Herring Run had eroded and deteriorated over many years. In 2016, the county purchased and demolished six flood-prone homes near Worthington Road and Stevenson Lane in Overbrook due to continued flooding from a tributary of Herring Run.
In 2017, Marks established a task force in hopes of connecting neighborhood parks in Towson through an environmentally responsible trail. The vision led to the development of the Six Bridge Trail to improve Herring Run and prevent erosion.
“I would like to thank County Executive Olszewski and his staff for many months of work on this project, and Sen. Chris West and Delegate Cathi Forbes for their strong support — I would also like to acknowledge the continued efforts of the Green Towson Alliance to repair and improve the Herring Run and preserve this beautiful part of eastern Towson,” Marks said.