Sandy Spring Residents Fight To Save Homes

Montgomery County officials say the road to their homes doesn’t exist, so what have they been using for 100 years? Originally posted on January 21, 2008.

Take a look at this summary of the Sandy Spring Farm Road Dispute: 

… The story is about property owners who, until 2006, accessed their property from the privately maintained Farm Road. These owners and their ancestors have had access to their properties from Farm Road for more than 100 years. Farm Road is listed on their property deeds and these owners continue to this day to pay taxes and garbage collection fees for their property. Tax assessors have come to inspect their property by way of Farm Road. Emergency medical service vehicles have also responded to their needs using Farm Road.

The story is that these property owners have been told since 2006 by the local Planning Agency that Farm Road does not exist and that they do not have access to their land. It is also about the Planning Agency disregarding the law and discriminating against some of the most vulnerable families and people in our community – single moms with five children and men and women in their 80’s. These families have lived their entire lives peacefully in Sandy Spring – until some have attempted to force them from their family properties and they contend, steal their land. The Sandy Spring families have a simple goal – government’s re-recognition of their property’s access – the same access recognized by the government for the past century. The Sandy Spring families need help in raising public awareness of their plight.

Cultural erasure is not just about pride or identity. It is about control and autonomy and survival. Listen to this story. Sandy Spring, Maryland resident Robert Awkward (who is 90) speaks to elected officials about the access to his ancestral property, and that of his neighbors in their kinship community, being erased from public records. Consequently, his property is not marketable. Mr. Awkard had planned to speak in person, however, he was too informed to travel. State and County officials viewed the video hours after it was recorded. For more information go to www.SaveSandySpring.org

Here’s a great documentary about Sandy Spring, Maryland by a Montgomery County college student.

I would love for anyone interested in making a like film in Fort Bend County to contact me. I’d love to make a documentary and/or develop an archive before we lose all of our elders and memories.