Jesuits selling land to pay for health-care costs

Religious order's staff too small to manage properties

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008

The Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus has decided to sell the waterfront lands, with a combined acreage of 1,761 acres, to The Conservation Fund, which will turn it over to the state of Maryland, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced last week. Both properties will be preserved from development.

This transaction includes two other provincial properties in Charles and Cecil counties for a total of 4,473 acres for a purchase of $56.9 million in state park acquisition funds, called Program Open Space funds, which are funded by real-estate transfers. By law those funds can only be used for land for parks and conservation.

With the separate purchase of another 4,769 acres in Worcester County, the total plan would cost $75 million. It has to be approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works.

The Rev. James Casciotti, provincial socius, said Friday the Jesuits didn't approach the state directly about selling the land. "We approached conservation organizations," he said, and then, "The Conservation Fund approached the state. We partnered with The Conservation Fund."

The time had come when the number of staff had become too small to manage the properties across the state, he said. "We wanted to pass it along to conservationists or the state, someone who could take care of it better than we can," Casciotti said. "We felt good we did the best to hand them off in a responsible way.

"The money's going to go to our health fund," he said. "We need to raise money for our elderly."

The 776 acres sold at Newtowne Neck are adjacent to St. Francis Xavier Church and its cemetery, flanked by Breton Bay and St. Clement's Bay. The Jesuits got it from William Bretton in 1668 for 40,000 pounds of tobacco.

At one point the land was being sought as Navy proving grounds. In July 1971, a developer proposed to turn it into a vacation destination. Called Squire's Island, the plan called for 2,000 vacation homes, a golf course, clubhouse and water recreation facilities.

Kitts Point, 985 acres, is bounded by St. Mary's River and Smith Creek south of the Webster Field Navy annex. The land there is fields and farmland. It was part of an original land grant of 4,000 acres.

In 1971, developer Victor Reynolds wanted to buy 1,000 acres at Kitts Point to build houses and condominiums. The commissioners turned the idea down in January 1972.

"Thank God those didn't happen," said Bob Schaller, director of St. Mary's County Department of Economic and Community Development. Those were the days before the county had a zoning ordinance and before Chesapeake Bay Critical Area regulations began. Such regulations would heavily restrict use on the lands today, but development would still be possible.

Once the two properties become state land, the county will lose about $40,000 a year in property taxes. "That is going to be a change" once they come off the tax rolls, Schaller said.

As Casciotti understands it, the tenant farmers currently using the land will still be able to farm it. As state lands, the public would have more access to the Potomac River.

There are currently about 7,800 acres of state parks in St. Mary's and about 2,170 acres of county park land.

jbabcock@somdnews.com