The historic Oregon Ridge Store in Hunt Valley, a structure that has had its share of dereliction and salvation over the years, is about to be saved once again.
The Baltimore County Board of Appeals has cleared the way for renovation of the 145-year-old vacant store into an upscale restaurant operated by the owner of Mount Washington Tavern restaurant.
The appeals board agreed to encompass a restrictive covenant between the Valleys Planning Council, a private nonprofit land preservation group, and Ted Bauer, owner of Mount Washington Tavern and lessee of the building.
The building, at Shawan and Beaver Dam roads west of Interstate 83, is owned by the county, which purchased it along with 557 acres of the old Ashland ironworks in 1969. The property became Oregon Ridge Park.
In June, the county Department of Recreation and Parks received a special zoning exception to use Oregon Store as a general restaurant in a rural conservation zone.
At the time of decision by Deputy Zoning Commissioner Timothy M. Kotroco, Mr. Bauer and the Valleys Planning Council had not completed a restrictive covenant agreement. Mr. Kotroco prohibited catered receptions in the building and restricted the outdoor patio to dining, points that would have been part of the agreement.
J. Carroll Holzer, attorney for the Valleys Planning Council, said the parties agreed in principle with Mr. Kotroco's decision but felt it should be taken to the Board of Appeals to get the restrictive covenant incorporated into the approval.
"The county could not legally be a party to a restrictive covenant," said Mr. Holzer. "By having it included in the appeals board decision, we essentially hold all three parties to it."
Margaret Worrell, executive director of the planning council, said she was delighted with the board's decision and Mr. Bauer's work with the community.
"Mr. Bauer came to us even before he presented anything to the county," said Mrs. Worrell. "He really wanted the community to be comfortable with his proposal which made our discussions with him very positive."
"I was very pleased with the negotiations," said Mr. Bauer. "I think we came out with a project that everyone can support."
He declined to discuss any details of his proposed restaurant. But in testimony before the deputy zoning commissioner and the appeals board, he said he planned on a 150-seat restaurant, mainly featuring standard American cuisine.
The building dates back to 1849, when it was built as part of the Oregon Furnace Works, later known as the Ashland Iron Co. The building became the company store, selling goods to the workers.
County historian John W. McGrain said Thomas Kurtz, the last foreman to work for Ashland Iron before it went out of business, bought the store in 1892. The Kurtz family operated the store at least until the late 1920s, said Mr. McGrain.
Records don't show how the building was used after the Kurtz store went out of business, said Mr. McGrain, but it was dilapidated when the county purchased it in 1969.
In 1986, the building was re-opened after Martin P. Azola Jr., a well-known Baltimore area restoration developer, renovated it at a cost of about $700,000, said Charles L. Fisher Jr., deputy recreation and parks director. The building housed a frame shop, a gift boutique and a small hair salon. The frame shop left first and the boutique and hair salon moved out in the spring of 1993. The building has been empty since then.
"It would have cost us about $35,000 a year to maintain the building," said Mr. Fisher. "We got permission from the bank that holds the lease to put out a bid on the property to find a new lessee."