By Ray Rivera
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 22, 2006; C06

A proposed state-run equestrian center in Anne Arundel County was dealt a setback last week when Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. withheld a bill to finance the project from his legislative package.

Aides to the Republican governor said he strongly supports the horse park. But they said the bill had little chance of passing without the support of Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens (D), who has balked at the county's potential share of the estimated $100 million price tag.

"With all the election year shenanigans, there would be too many political games if this bill were to go through, and it likely would not pass. And that's a lose-lose for everyone," said Greg Massoni, a spokesman for the governor.

Massoni said the administration will instead back a resolution asking the county and the Maryland Stadium Authority, which would build and oversee the park, to work out their differences over funding.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) flatly rejected the suggestion that the bill would have been tied up in partisan politics but said the county's concerns must be resolved first.

"Personally, I believe the park is a very good idea," Busch said. "If they can come to an agreement with Anne Arundel County, I think it's an initiative worth pursuing."

County officials said they've been told that their share of the project could be as high as $30 million, not including the cost of road improvements that might be needed to ease traffic on Routes 3 and 175 leading to the park.

Owens expressed worries that the cost of the project could divert money from schools and other priorities.

"I'm utterly not ready to make such a commitment," she said.

Alison L. Asti, the stadium authority's executive director, said she won't be able to talk about specific numbers until economic- and traffic-impact studies are completed, possibly this month or next. Then, she said, "we'll sit down and negotiate what they believe would be a fair contribution based on the economic benefit to the county."

The 875-acre site in Gambrills -- a former Naval Academy dairy farm still owned by the Navy -- was chosen in October over locations in five other counties. The choice has upset some nearby residents who say the park would bring more traffic and noise to the area and would force out the land's current tenant, MD Sunrise Farm, which operates a large organic farm and is seeking to renew its lease with Navy.

The project still needs the approval of the Navy, which by federal law must maintain the land for agricultural purposes.

Supporters say the project would inject millions into the local economy and bolster the state's struggling $1.6 billion horse industry, while preserving open space.

The park would include riding and walking trails, an amphitheater, hundreds of stalls, and show rings for jumping and dressage competitions.

Some supporters worried that the governor's decision could cause the project to lose momentum or revert to another location.

"I think it basically means it's dead," said Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer (D), a horse enthusiast who proposed and has been the primary backer of the Gambrills site, though it lies outside her jurisdiction.

But J. Robert Burk, executive director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, said, "As far as I understand, the project is still a go."

Construction was not scheduled to begin until 2007 anyway, he said, giving the stadium authority time to come back to the General Assembly for financing next year.

At a meeting of the Maryland Horse Council on Thursday night, Burk said the facility could generate as much as $200 million a year in economic activity, and, through auctions, horse shows and other events, eventually pay for itself. The project received more support last month when Fasig-Tipton Co. Inc., a national thoroughbred auction company based in Kentucky, said that it is considering relocating its current facilities in Timonium, Md., and that the park could offer an ideal location.

Owens said the company's interest "certainly makes a difference," but costs to the county remain a concern.