College rejects land easement in favor of expansion plan
The Anne Arundel Community College board of trustees announced last week it would not place 50 acres of woodland in a conservation easement that would restrict future expansion of the Arnold campus.
Environmental activists had sought to have the college place surplus land in a permanent easement with the Maryland Environmental Land Trust.
But at the board's Oct. 13 meeting, the trustees said the western campus area is being used for college expansion, which was its original purpose, and that plans for future construction have been prepared in a manner "sensitive to the environment."
"The trustees are required to take a broad view of the mission of the college, rather than the narrow view advocated by special interest groups," said Robert Diaiso, chairman of the board.
He added that the western campus land is "not surplus, but needed for accomplishment of the college's educational mission."
POLICE LOG
* Severna Park: A man reported to police that someone threw a rock at his car Saturday at 12:30 a.m. as he was driving north on Ritchie Highway near Arundel Beach Road. The rock dented the right side of the car.
* Severna Park: Someone broke into an abandoned building in the 500 block of Ritchie Highway in Severna Park at 2:29 a.m. Friday. Officers said they found someone had broken the glass out of the front windows of what was formerly Clarke's Saloon.
* Crownsville: Someone threw a rock through the glass doors of the Crownsville Chevron station in the 1200 block of Generals Highway at 4 a.m. Friday. Twenty-six packs of Newport cigarettes were stolen.