This past week, White’s Ferry owners-Chuck and Stacy Kuhn- formally offered to donate the White’s Ferry operation to Montgomery County. At his weekly media briefing, Elrich stated he believed it would take a year for the ferry to be operational, “I will say I believe it’ll take about a year to get it operational. By the time all of our legal stuff is being cleared and by the time the issues are settled in Virginia…”
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich released the following statement on Tuesday, April 16 regarding White’s Ferry owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn offering to donate the ferry to Montgomery County:
On December 28, 2020, White’s Ferry ceased operations due to a dispute with Rockland Farm in Loudon County, VA over the ferry’s landing site. (more…)
Update: Rockland Farm responds to statement from White’s Ferry owners here.
White’s Ferry owners–Chuck and Stacy Kuhn–have formally offered to donate the White’s Ferry operation to Montgomery County. This most recent offer has been described by the Kuhn family as “part of their commitment to getting the ferry operational to preserve history, save jobs, and reduce traffic.”
Jim Brown, the longtime President of the Commissioners for the Town of Poolesville, has commented on the now-three year closure of White’s Ferry. His comments can be seen below:
On Wednesday, the owners of White’s Ferry announced they had increased their offer to purchase the Virginia landing site from Rockland Farm to $1.25 million, an increase of $150,000 from the offer that was made in January. We reached out to Rockland Farms owner Libby Delvin, who provided the following response: “We continue to believe that a volume-based fee based on the amount and size of vehicles using our land is the fairest way to compensate us for the use of our land. Fifty-cents per car is very reasonable. The operator can increase the fee of the ferry and pay Rockland Farm accordingly. Most people are willing to pay an additional incremental amount in order to re-open the ferry.”
White’s Ferry ceased operations back in December 2020. You can read White Ferry’s statement from yesterday below:
“To encourage the re-opening of White’s Ferry, ferry owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn worked closely with Maryland, Virginia, Montgomery, and Loudoun Counties, and previous ferry owner Herb Brown to once again make an offer to purchase the Virginia landing site from Rockland Farm in an effort to get the ferry reopened for its nearly 1,100 daily users. The newest offer is now for $1.25 million for the 1.4 acres, an increase from the last offer in January of $1.1 million. Both offers are well above the land value.
Other options also recently proposed by the Kuhns as ways to get the ferry opened as soon as possible, include:
· Selling the ferry directly to Rockland Farms or to Montgomery County or the state of Maryland.
· Donating the ferry, the ferry business, and the Maryland landing to the county if Rockland Farm would donate the Virginia landing.
It’s unclear whether Rockland Farm owners will accept the new offer, buy the ferry, or consider donating their land as the Kuhns have suggested. Or whether the local jurisdictions will purchase the ferry. The Kuhns remain committed to getting the ferry open to the local community as quickly as possible and await an answer.”
Statement by White’s Ferry: “To encourage the re-opening of White’s Ferry, ferry owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn worked closely with Maryland, Virginia, Montgomery, and Loudoun Counties, and previous ferry owner Herb Brown to once again make an offer to purchase the Virginia landing site from Rockland Farm in an effort to get the ferry reopened for its nearly 1,100 daily users. The newest offer is now for $1.25 million for the 1.4 acres, an increase from the last offer in January of $1.1 million. Both offers are well above the land value.
Other options also recently proposed by the Kuhns as ways to get the ferry opened as soon as possible, include:
· Selling the ferry directly to Rockland Farms or to Montgomery County or the state of Maryland.
· Donating the ferry, the ferry business, and the Maryland landing to the county if Rockland Farm would donate the Virginia landing.
It’s unclear whether Rockland Farm owners will accept the new offer, buy the ferry, or consider donating their land as the Kuhns have suggested. Or whether the local jurisdictions will purchase the ferry. The Kuhns remain committed to getting the ferry open to the local community as quickly as possible and await an answer.”
One-third of Montgomery County, or 93,000 acres, is designated as the Agricultural Reserve. This unique area of contiguous farmland has special characteristics:
- The zoning of the Agricultural Reserve (AR zone) limits development to one house per 25 acres;
- 70,000 acres, or 75% of the land area within the Ag Reserve, is further protected through permanent easements that restrict residential, industrial, and commercial development;
- 558 farms remain viable in a county with high development pressure and cost of living;
- 454 farms produce table food crops or products, allowing county residents to enjoy locally produced food;
- 10,000 horses provide competitive and recreational opportunities for County residents;
- Views of thousands of acres of rural landscape enjoyed by tourists, bicyclists, hikers, artists, and other visitors
Montgomery County’s diverse agricultural industry is home to 558 farms, employs more than 10,000 people, and contributes $281 million to the County’s economy. AG Facts Below:
Food Producers: According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, there are 454 farms producing table food in Montgomery County. The County’s food producers are essential and continue to play a vital role providing fresh, local food to residents including those in need through the Farm 2 Foodbank program. See the latest Farm2Foodbank Impact Report HERE.
Environmental Data: Best Management Practices (BMP) by Montgomery County Farmers. These practices help the County’s agricultural sector meet its Watershed Implementation (WIP) goals as mandated by the Maryland Department of the Environment. These BMPs also have the co benefit of reducing green house gas emissions.
Information and featured photo courtesy of Montgomery County’s Office of Agriculture.
Watch Issued for Western Maryland and Portions of Central Maryland; No Mandatory Water Use Restrictions in Place but Voluntary Reductions Encouraged
Per The Maryland Department of the Environment: The Maryland Department of the Environment is urging citizens and businesses in a large part of the state to voluntarily reduce their water usage as a drought watch has been issued. “Water conservation is a good practice year-round, but we are asking residents and businesses to pay particular attention during the summer months when the State can experience hot and dry conditions,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain.
“You can do your part by limiting the use and duration of sprinklers for lawns, taking short showers as opposed to baths, and not leaving the faucet running while brushing your teeth. These things sound simple, but it all adds up.” A drought watch has been issued for Western Maryland and portions of Central Maryland based on lower-than-normal stream flows and groundwater levels for this time of year. During a drought watch, MDE increases oversight of water supply conditions and encourages voluntary water conservation practices. No mandatory water use restrictions have been issued.
The affected region includes Allegany, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Washington Counties, except for areas served by the Baltimore City or Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission public water systems.
At this time, the State currently has enough water to meet the needs of residents and businesses, but water conservation measures are being encouraged to help avoid any future water shortages. Recent rainfall in the area is not expected to have a significant effect in reducing the precipitation deficit. Homeowners should consider water conservation measures listed in our fact sheet. Recommendations on conserving water for certain types of businesses, such as restaurants and commercial buildings, are also available.
Earlier today, White’s Ferry owner Chuck Kuhn released a statement saying that Rockland Farm, the Virginia landing site for the ferry, had rejected a $1.1 million dollar offer to purchase the Virginia site. In the statement, Kuhn also announced his intentions to sell the ferry to Montgomery County; “We have run out of options and will now seek to sell the ferry land and operations to Montgomery County so it can work to invoke eminent domain and acquire the Virginia landing site.”
Rockland Farm tells us, “the reason that Rockland Farm turned down the $1.1 M combined offer from Loudoun County, Montgomery County, and Mr. Kuhn is that we will not accept a flat fee for our Virginia landing.” Rockland Farm has stated on several occasions that it was requesting $.50 per vehicle. “All that it would have taken to get the ferry open would be to increase the fee by 50 cents per ride for the use of our landing, but Mr. Kuhn said no.”
Full statement from Rockland Farm below:
“Mr. Kuhn’s willingness to sell the Maryland ferry assets to Montgomery County is good news. If the price is disclosed, Rockland Farm will consider buying the ferry assets for the same price and will bring in an independent ferry operator to get a ferry up and running again without further ado.
The reason that Rockland Farm turned down the $1.1 M combined offer from Loudoun County, Montgomery County, and Mr. Kuhn is that we will not accept a flat fee for our Virginia landing. We favor a volume-based fee that varies with the amount of traffic encroaching upon our land and will work with either county to accomplish that.
We have also located a nationally based company that will work with both sides to get a ferry up and running again and operate it. However, Mr. Kuhn has refused to work with this company and has told them that he intends to be the ferry operator.
Rockland Farm has also made an offer to both Montgomery and Loudoun Counties for a permanent easement on our Virginia landing in exchange for a volume-based fee. Our offer is still on the table.
Finally, we are willing to work with Loudoun and Montgomery Counties to explore realigning our landing, acquiring a vessel, putting in a maintenance facility and operating the ferry from Virginia using an independent operator”.
The owners of White’s Ferry have announced that Rockland Farm, the Virginia landing site for the ferry, have rejected a $1.1 million dollar offer to purchase the site. According to a press release, the offer included funds from White’s Ferry’s owners, both Montgomery and Loudoun Counties, and additional funds from Herb Brown, the original ferry owner. White’s Ferry ceased operations back in December 2020 over a legal dispute with Rockland Farms.
Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, owners of JK Moving Services, purchased the Ferry in February 2021. “We have run out of options and will now seek to sell the ferry land and operations to Montgomery County so it can work to invoke eminent domain and acquire the Virginia landing site,” Chuck Kuhn said. Full statement below:
“White’s Ferry owners worked closely with the State of Maryland, Commonwealth of Virginia, Montgomery and Loudoun Counties, including their economic development authorities and transportation departments, and previous Ferry owner Herb Brown, to develop a proposal to purchase the Virginia landing site from Rockland Farm in an effort to get the ferry reopened for its nearly 1,100 daily users. Unfortunately, Rockland Farm owners rejected the bid—which was well above the land value—and has caused White’s Ferry owners to pursue selling the land and operation to Montgomery County.
“We are grateful for the significant and good faith efforts of our local and state governments on both sides of the Potomac to help us re-open White’s Ferry. It’s unfathomable that one family is standing in the way of people’s livelihoods. We have run out of options and will now seek to sell the ferry land and operations to Montgomery County so it can work to invoke eminent domain and acquire the Virginia landing site. This is not what we had hoped, but we understand the importance of White’s Ferry to the region’s economy—and the ferry needs to get moving again,” explained Chuck Kuhn, Owner, of White’s Ferry.
The proposal was submitted by the two counties to Rockland Farm in January. The plan had called for Rockland Farm to sell the 1.4 acres landing site for $1.1 million—well above the appraised value for the floodplain land. The offer included funds from White’s Ferry’s owners, both Montgomery and Loudoun Counties, and additional funds from Herb Brown, the original ferry owner. Under the proposal, the landing site would be limited to public use and passage along White’s Ferry Road including potential modifications to facilitate vehicle travel, pedestrian and bicycle passage, or improved ferry operations.
Chuck and Stacy Kuhn bought the ferry in February 2021 to help protect this important Potomac River crossing with a long history. The purchase included the ferry, the store, and the Maryland shoreline that supports the ferry operation. Established in 1786, the Ferry ceased operation in December 2020 after the previous owner Herb Brown could not come to terms with Virginia’s Rockland Farm. The farm’s proposed price of 50 cents a car each way would have resulted in a 50% reduction in operating income, making the ferry business unviable. In addition, the farm’s stipulation that it could shut down the ferry at any time without notice made it too risky a business to pursue. Since purchasing it, the Kuhns have been working with Rockland Farm and the local and state municipalities to find a good-faith resolution.
“We needed an agreement that we could build a business model around. Owning landing rights would enable us to understand and manage ferry costs so that we could offer the best product at a price the users can afford,” added Kuhn. “The states, counties, and towns involved all understand this. Sadly, one entity—one family—refuses to be part of the solution and is hurting real people and our local communities.”
The economic impact of resuming ferry operations (based on travel time savings, travel cost savings, safety savings, the value of emissions avoided, and the value of trips not taken) will be over $9 million this year alone and will result in a travel time savings that equate to up to $1.7 million a year, according to a Montgomery County Department of Transportation study. While working through the efforts to regain landing rights, the Kuhns invested in needed upgrades and repairs, ensuring that the ferry could reopen within 30 days of an agreement with Rockland Farms.
White’s Ferry fits with the Kuhn’s interest in conserving land and history. Through JK Land Holdings, the Kuhn family seeks land acquisitions that can be sold, leased, developed, placed into a conservation easement, or utilized by sister companies JK Moving Services and CapRelo. Over the past decade, they have placed more than 22,000 acres of its purchases into a conservation easement, ensuring vulnerable vistas and habitats are preserved and protected for future generations. www.JKLandHoldings.net
