Blandair Park (Capital Project N3102)

Approved 2008 Master Plan

Project Description

Capital Project N-3102 proposes to master plan,design, and construct a 298-acre Regional Park, and restore the 19th Century Blandair Mansion and outbuildings located off of MD Route 175 in Columbia, Maryland. There is a separate project to construct an overpass and interchange with Route 175.

Blandair Park will be a County park facility centrally located on a 300-acre parcel of land in Columbia. The project will preserve approximately 200 acres of forest, wetlands, meadows, and a historic farm complex, while providing active and passive recreation experiences. The unique site will afford opportunities for learning about the County’s agrarian roots, for children to delight in nature, and for enthusiasts to recreate in the outdoors - right in Columbia’s backyard.
Site Map

The property to be developed as Blandair Regional Park is located on both sides of Route 175, between Route 29 and Interstate-95, just one mile east of Columbia Town Center. It is surrounded by residential development as a result of the growth of the New Town area around the perimeter of a traditional agricultural operation. The larger of three parcels, the North Area, contains almost 200 acres of open meadows, forests and wetlands, as well as the farm complex with its large manor house, barns, and several smaller outbuildings. The South Area contains almost 100 acres and consists mostly of open farm fields. The smallest parcel of 11 acres is known as the Woodlot, and, as the name suggests, has a mature stand of trees that will be one of the areas retained as a natural forest.

Project Schedule for Phase I

Phase I is a 25-acre parcel in the South Area on the west side of Oakland Mills Road and it will contain the following amenities: 3 lighted, synthetic turf multi-purpose fields, 1 playground, 1 shelter, 1 restroom, and 1 parking lot. Click here to view Phase I of Blandair Park.

Construction of Phase I will be advertised for bids from qualified contractors in the summer of 2010. Following an approved bidding process, the County will award a contract for construction. The groundbreaking ceremony date will be announced. For information regarding the project schedule, please contact Raul Delerme.

Project History

The farm traces its beginnings to lands granted to the Talbot family in colonial times, and it was later owned by members of the Dorsey, Howard, and Weems families. In 1845, Theodorick Bland, Chancellor of Maryland, purchased it and named it “Blandair.” His family owned it until after the Civil War, when it changed hands a number of times, eventually becoming a dairy farm and finally a horse farm when the Smith family bought it in 1937. The last residing owner, Nancy Smith, passed away in 1997 and the farm, long having ceased operations, was purchased by Howard County with assistance from the State’s Program Open Space in 1998 for use as a park. Legal challenges ensued, delaying planning efforts for the next three years. After court affirmation of the County’s ownership, repairs of the deteriorated facilities could begin. A Historic Easement was placed on 28 acres that contain the farm structures, and restoration work is underway under a separate contract with the National Park Service.

In 2001, a committee of 23 citizens was appointed to advise the County on the direction it should take in developing the park. The Blandair Planning Committee deliberated for over a year and a half, considering multiple issues regarding the park. The County commissioned several studies: a Traffic Study, a Forest Delineation Study, a Wetland Study, and a Hazardous Waste Assessment. Experts in various areas were invited to address the committee on pertinent topics.

Three sub-committees were established to address 1) historic preservation; 2) environmental protection and nature; and 3) active recreation. Access to the park from Route 175 and other local roads, as well as bicycle and pedestrian pathways, and a highway overpass to connect the two areas of the park were discussed extensively.

The Committee determined that the North Area should feature historical interpretation, preserve natural areas, and provide predominately passive recreation and nature education. It also could provide space for occasional large outdoor gatherings. They determined that the South Area should provide more facilities for active recreation, as well as preserve its natural areas.

Three conceptual plans were created and discussed, and one concept was chosen to be modified. The final plan was presented before three public meetings, and adopted as the Master Plan in August, 2003. Click here to see the 2003 Master Plan.

Past public meetings:

Three Public Meetings were held to discuss the Blandair Master Plan in 2003. A total of 274 people attended the meetings, and 78 people provided testimony. The meeting locations were all within the boundaries of the Blandair Service Area.

For a Synopsis of the Public Meetings held July 22, July 29 and August 5, 2003, click here.

The State granted two Bond Bills in 2004 and 2005 for the restoration of the Blandair Mansion, and work was begun by the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center on repairs to the 150-year old structure. In 2007, the County began a search for a qualified design and engineering firm to update and refine the Master Plan and develop detailed construction plans for the regional park.

In March 2008, the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Department of Public Works selected Whitman Requardt and Associates, LLP, (WR&A) a Baltimore-based firm, to provide engineering and design services. Click here for more information about WR&A. At the same time, the County Executive appointed a new citizen Advisory Committee to assist with the project. The Committee was composed of citizens whose varied backgrounds and interests provided valuable input into the development of the design. The members represented the interests of the surrounding communities, and included a student representative. Click here to see a list of Advisory Committee members and Support Staff. Their meetings, which began in March, 2008, included a general public meeting in September and concluded with a meeting of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board in October, 2008. At that public meeting, the Board voted to approve the Master Plan. Click here to view the Chronology of Meetings.

Facilities in the 2008 Master Plan

The facilities chosen for inclusion in the Master Plan by the Advisory Committee reflect the unique characteristics of this special property, as well as provide for the recreational needs and expressed desires of Howard County citizens for specific activities. Click here to see a list of facilities.

The majority of the land is preserved to protect sensitive environmental features such as small streams, ponds, wetlands, forest stands, hedgerows and meadows that will provide quiet places for nature study and contemplation.

More than 70% of the land will consist of existing natural and landscaped areas, with the remainder of the land in the historic farm complex and active recreation areas. The Land Use analysis map shows 50% is "Natural Landscape"--existing native woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and the vegetated buffers of wetlands, ponds and streams. Another 21% is "Cultivated Park Landscape"--areas that may be planted with ornamental trees, shrubs and groundcovers, and grass that will be periodically mowed in passive recreation areas (such as picnic areas under a tree canopy). Another 4% is "Historic Landscape"--the historic Blandair farm complex that is typical of the rural, agricultural landscape of the 19th to early 20th centuries. The remainder of 25% is "Other," which includes the Park Facilities--sports fields for active recreation, structures (Multipurpose Building, restrooms, picnic shelters, maintenance), and parking areas. Click here to view the Land Use Map.

Approximately five miles of trails and pathways are included. The pathways will connect with the existing pathway network. A small nature center will concentrate on backyard and meadow wildlife, with an observation deck and nature activity room. A Children’s Garden will provide three to four acres of creative child-level and hands-on flower and garden experiences. An Environmental Education Area will be used for outdoor classrooms to bring children into close encounters with the natural world surrounding them. It will be an opportunity for Howard County students to have a nearby area for nature studies and a variety of outdoor activities in connection with their curriculum requirements - without having to travel to other counties.

The historic Blandair Mansion will be renovated to provide rooms for meetings, social gatherings and classes, in addition to displaying historic information about the evolution of the agrarian lifestyle of Howard County. The garden/orchard area behind the mansion will be restored as a place to stroll or be seated outdoors. The farm’s outbuildings, including a smokehouse, slave cabin, springhouse, tenant houses, three barns, and several small sheds — all clustered in the central farmstead area — will provide actual examples of a working farm’s structures, and an authentic background for historic re-enactments.

In addition, one of the tenant houses will be rehabilitated as the residence for a live-in caretaker, and the inside of another — the handsome stone house — will be used as a gift store/refreshment stop. Open areas in the two larger barns will be used for activities such as barn-dances and picnics. A smaller barn, the Granary, will be restored to illustrate the processes involved in harvesting, threshing, and storing grain products—all important activities of 19th century farm production.

A total of six picnic shelters will be situated throughout the North and South areas, as are restrooms. In addition to providing a place for picnics, the shelters will also provide protection from the sun for the four playgrounds nearby. One of the playgrounds in the South Area will be a large facility with many activities. Accessible features will be provided at all playgrounds.

Large open fields near Route 175 in the North Area will be used as a Festival Area for periodic events, such as historic reenactments, or farm and harvest fairs, with their associated temporary parking needs. Most of the time, they will simply be open fields for informal play, such as kite-flying. Other large fields in the North Area will be retained as natural meadows in conjunction with the nature center.

There will be a total of three synthetic-turf, multipurpose fields in the South Area. They will be used for games such as soccer, lacrosse and football. The South area will also have two baseball/softball fields. The fields in the South Area are adjacent to Oakland Mills High School and can be easily walked to or biked to from the school grounds. Other facilities include four horseshoe pits and a bank of six tennis courts in the South Area, and one outdoor volleyball court near the picnic facilities in the North Area.

There will also be a Multipurpose Building in the South Area that will include indoor recreation facilities for activities such as basketball, as well as rooms for park programs and meetings, and restrooms. We will carry through a uniform and compatible design theme for all new architectural features at Blandair.

Support facilities for the park will include a Maintenance Building in the South Area, in addition to park roads, parking lots, and storm water management facilities, such as bio-retention areas.

The Design Process

WR&A and the Advisory Committee updated and refined the 2003 Master Plan by examining any new issues that affected the plan, such as new environmental regulations. The Committee and consultants resolved issues that had been deferred for future consideration, such as the interchange and bridging of Route 175. A Traffic Study, Forest and Wetland Delineations, and new public input were included in the planning process.

After the updated 2008 Master Plan was approved, the County divided the project into several construction phases. The first phase to be built will be on the South Area because it has existing road access to Oakland Mills Road. Other phases will be designed and developed in the future as funds become available. Click here to see the Phase Map.

WR&A has prepared a Site Development Plan (SDP) for Phase I of construction. The SDP passed a stringent County examination and review processes to assure that all environmental, safety and engineering design criteria were met. Phase I is located on Oakland Mills Road in the South Area.

WR&A prepared Construction Documents, consisting of Plans and Specifications, for building Phase I. The Construction Documents were subject to careful plan review. Architectural plans were also submitted for review by the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits to obtain a Building Permit.

WR&A is also preparing plans for the construction of an overpass and interchange with Route 175 that will provide entry to the North and South Areas of the park. Oakland Mills Road will be improved and connected with Route 175. The entrance to Phase I will be provided initially from the existing Oakland Mills Road, and later connected to the new interchange. The road project, J-4237, is managed by the Transportation and Special Projects Division of the Bureau of Engineering in the Department of Public works. Click here to see the Phase I plan.

Public Participation

If you wish to comment on the information provided in this website, please contact Raul Delerme.

You may also direct written comments to:

Raul Delerme, Chief, Capital Projects, Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, 7120 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia MD 21046.

Call the Department’s Capital Project and Park Planning Division at 410-313-4685 for more information or to provide comments. Please visit this website for future updates.