It's hard to see how a land deal before the Harford County Council that would allow the county to swap 11 acres of public territory for about one acre of private land is a good one.

The county is looking to clear up a dispute with the owner of a property adjacent to the 465-Swan Harbor Farm, the waterfront park on the Susquehanna Flats in Oakington between Havre de Grace and Aberdeen. At issue is a key piece of land through which the county park's driveway runs.

The county has a survey that says the driveway is on county land; the owner of a neighboring farm, Griffith Davis, disputes the county's survey, and claims he has a more accurate one showing he owns the key access parcel.

Arden McClune, director of the county's Department of Parks and Recreation, which is dealing with the matter, said of the dispute: "We believe our survey was correct, but we also believe owning the driveway to Swan Harbor is a higher priority."

She's correct that owning the driveway, uncontested, should be a priority. Still, a swap of 11 acres for a single acre, even when the affected territory is 465 acres to start with, doesn't seem like an ideal arrangement, especially if the county survey is correct.

It's worth noting that the issue isn't as clear cut as looking at a modern land record and drawing a line. Property records in the areas along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay are notorious for shifting, and being based centuries ago on things like the position of a tree or barn that has been gone for generations.

Still an 11 for 1 swap doesn't seem to be a good deal for the taxpayers who are poised to end up with the smaller parcel in this deal.