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Incinerator plan loses steam

Craig: County will not buy Prologis Park property for expansion of waste-to-energy facility

BY RACHEL KONOPACKI

Posted 12/02/09

Harford County’s government has backed away from its plan to acquire a private property in Edgewood that was being considered as a location for a new waste-to-energy incinerator.

Although Harford County Executive David Craig declared at a press conference Tuesday it was never his intent to acquire the site, known as Prologis Park, for the incinerator, the county’s interest in the property unleashed a furor in the Edgewood community.

Craig said the Prologis Park property will not be purchased by Harford County as the site for an access road to the proposed waste-to-energy plant expansion set to open in 2015.

In announcing his plan to withdraw from county council consideration a bill to authorize the $4.9 million purchase, Craig also said an unnamed company is in serious negotiations to acquire the 134-acre property at the intersection of Trimble Road and Route 24.

The legislation in question also would have authorized the county to finance the purchase through the Maryland Environmental Service, an independent state agency run by ex-County Executive Jim Harkins. The county council was scheduled to conduct a public hearing on the bill Tuesday evening.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Harford County Director of Economic Development Jim Richardson also announced that negotiations are almost complete with a national distribution company to occupy the former Gap Inc. distribution center on the Prologis Park property.

The Prologis Park property was looked at by the county administration only as an access to the an expanded waste-to-energy incinerator at the Route 152 gate on the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Craig said. The 134-acre total, with about 50 usable acres, and is zoned GI, or general industrial.

Craig likewise denied the administration had considered using the Prologis property for the site of a new waste-to-energy plant if plans were not approved to expand the incinerator on federal property.

On Nov. 17, however, the day after the possibility of moving the incinerator to Prologis surfaced at a meeting of county legislators, Robert Cooper, the county public works director, acknowledged there was some interest on the county’s part.

Explaining that the county was having a difficult time negotiating terms of the incinerator expansion with the Army, Cooper told The Aegis: “We looked at this property as a possibility of maybe putting the waste- to-energy plant on this location. That’s where the perception of the community is coming from that this is a done deal. It’s not a done deal. It’s a possibility it could go here.”

After many Edgewood residents expressed concern over the incinerator being built on the Prologis property, the county council announced its intention last week to create a provision that the expansion wouldn’t be able to be built on the Prologis Park property.

“On the present site, is the best way to go,” Craig said Tuesday.

Council President Billy Boniface said, at Tuesday’s press conference, part of the task the council gave the administration was to find an alternative solution to increased truck traffic on Route 152.

The county administration looked at both Route 24 and Prologis Park, where an access road could be built; however, APG officials would not allow the county to use Route 24 because of security issues.

“We realize the Prologis piece was always the third choice [for an access road,]” Craig said, adding that the first two choices for access were Route 152 and Route 24.

With the withdrawal of the purchase bill, Craig said the county administration along with the county council will continue to explore their first two choices for access to the post.

Craig said Col. Orlando Ortiz, garrison commander at APG, assured him that all options for an access to the waste-to-energy plant expansion will be on the table for consideration, including having the trucks enter the post from one direction and leave from another.

Although, Craig said APG officials will make the final decision regarding access to the post.

In a joint statement prepared by him and Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti, who was unable to be at Tuesday’s press conference, County Councilman Dion Guthrie, who represents Edgewood, thanked the county executive for his decision to withdraw the bill.

“We would also like to call on our colleagues on the Harford County Council to join us in a united, one voice effort for a new access road off of Route 24,” Guthrie said.

New distribution company

Richardson said the name and details of the company that will be take over the old GAP distribution center will be released in the next few days, as soon as negotiations are completed.

He said the company will bring 500 new job positions to the county.

“We are continuing the county executive’s vision to keep the base of Harford County very diverse,” Richardson said.

The building, which was built in 1991, is in the enterprise zone; however, the enterprise zone credit has already been used up, according to Richardson.

He said the company would be able to apply for a job creation tax credit with the state.

GAP, the apparel retailer, closed its mid-Atlantic distribution center in Edgewood in mid-2005. At the time, about 170 people were employed there.

According to state tax records, Prologis-Exchange Maryland LLC acquired the warehouse and two adjoining undeveloped tracts in 2005 for $21.25 million. State corporate data shows the LLC has principal offices in Wilmington, Del.

According to its Web site, Prologis Inc. is a worldwide operator of distribution facilities that also invests in commercial real estate.