Frustrated with overcrowded and aging classrooms, parents in the western part of Anne Arundel County were ecstatic when a developer offered to construct a $23 million school as a sweetener to his proposal to build 1,000 new homes in Laurel.
Local politicians are backing the residential project, praising the idea of using private dollars for school construction at a time of fiscal distress for local and state governments.
But the idea is languishing without the necessary clearances to move forward, and supporters are crying foul over the delays.
"I'd like to see our county officials act on it," said Justo Gutierrez, a Russett resident with a 5-year-old son and a daughter, 2. "They're getting free money. They should take it and run. Let's just get the school built."
The surge of community support marks a significant turnaround for the RiverWood development, proposed by Severna Park-based Polm Companies Ltd., which is one of the largest residential projects on the horizon in Anne Arundel.
The fact that so many neighbors are now backing a project that met with fierce opposition when first proposed in 2004 turns the typical "not in my backyard" opposition of community groups on its head, and shows how desperate many Arundel residents are for investments they expect to improve their quality of life.
The Polm offer is rare in Maryland. While developers often use the promise of roads, water and sewer upgrades to entice support, few in the state have gone so far as to offer to build a school.
County officials say accepting the offer is not so simple, however.
All developments have to follow the same process, they say, which includes rezoning property through the county's comprehensive plan, amending water and sewer regulations and completing plans for the school. Such approvals can take years to secure.
Polm has been working since 2004, when there was not much community support, to secure the necessary zoning for the project, which includes 320 homes guaranteed to be priced for median-income families. The plan also calls for intersection and road reconstruction and replacement of a deteriorating bridge. The total project cost is estimated at around $300 million.
Andrew P. Zois, president of Polm, said he's hopeful for the project, which would be situated just east of the Patuxent River.
"It's extremely unfortunate for the thousands of west county residents who've been making urgent pleas for the county to support and approve this project, as well as the 715 children that would more than benefit from this new school," Zois said.
Under the proposed arrangement, the school would be operated by Imagine Schools, which would lease the space from Polm. The county would pay Imagine to run the school, which would educate kindergartners through eighth-graders and draw students from the area's two most crowded elementary schools — Brock Bridge and Maryland City.
Contract schools are similar to charter schools, which receive public funding. But contract schools can define the area from which they enroll students, ensuring the targeted community is served.
Some residents have criticized Councilman James Benoit, who represents the Laurel area on the County Council, of dragging his feet on the project. Critics say he's offering only tepid support, and instead favoring another planned development nearby. Council members have significant authority over projects in their districts, with other elected officials typically bowing to the wishes of the representative of the affected area.
Julie Hummer, a Laurel mother of five, has been pushing for the school, hoping some of her children can one day attend.
"His bold talk of being a champion for education seems a bit hollow," said Hummer.
Benoit rejects those claims as "outrageous." He recently announced his support for amending the county water and sewer plan to include the areas where RiverWood and the school are to be built, which would expedite the process. But Benoit noted that Polm and Imagine, which has already received school board approval to operate what would be the county's first contract school, need to complete an agreement.
"If the two parties can come to an agreement that ensures the school will be built, I am prepared to lead the county through the next process," Benoit said. "Ensuring the best educational opportunities for west county children is my top priority. I have been involved in this proposal since day one and have heard a restless constituency in Laurel clearly. It's time to move the process forward."
At the heart of the delay, some critics allege, is politics. Supporters of the RiverWood project say the fall elections have muddied the process. They claim County Executive John R. Leopold hopes to hold off on controversial zoning decisions until after the election. County officials deny that allegation.
The county's once-a-decade rezoning process has garnered nearly 400 applications to the Office of Planning and Zoning, according to its director, who said officials are still processing the paperwork. Because the council requires 90 days to debate legislation before voting, it seems unlikely the current council will take on the process, which requires several public hearings. The council as currently constituted will hold its last meeting in October.
The developer would likely have had to wait until the rezoning to build a project of RiverWood's magnitude, officials said, regardless of the shifting community support and opposition.
Benoit, a Democrat, said he wants to vote on the zoning before November.
Further complicating matters, some residents complain, is a nearby project, Arundel Gateway. John C. Stamato, president of Ribera Development in Annapolis, plans a massive development on the 300-acre plot on Route 198, east of the Baltimore- Washington Parkway. His plan calls for 1,600 residential units, 360,000 square feet of office and 160,000 square feet of retail space and a 150-room hotel.
Residents say they worry Arundel Gateway's water and sewage usage will push the area to its capacity, furthering the delay on RiverWood and, most importantly, the school. But county officials say capacity can be increased if necessary.
The council in 2008 designated Arundel Gateway as part of the planned service area of the county's water and sewer master plan, but only after Stamato agreed to build water and sewer lines under Baltimore-Washington Parkway to address shortages.
Stamato said his project has gone through years of vetting and, pending zoning approval, he hopes to break ground later this year. "I don't feel we've gotten any special treatment," Stamato said.
Leopold, in a brief interview recently, said while he "strongly supports" the concept of both a contract school and work force housing and using "alternative avenues to finance public education," the RiverWood project presents "technical issues" on which he could not comment.
"It's not a simple matter," said Leopold, a Republican who is running for a second term.
Ray Smallwood, president of the Maryland City Civic Association, said residents overwhelmingly support the RiverWood project and he's boggled by the county government's inaction.
"Something's not right somewhere," said Smallwood. "We worked to win the community support, then all of a sudden we hit a brick wall with the politicians. We've talked until we're blue in the face. Mr. Benoit blames the county government. The county executive blames Mr. Benoit. They're all screaming the county doesn't have enough money for a new school. You can get a school built for free. This is a no-brainer."
Eugene Peterson, a member of the county school board, said he wants county officials to act now on the proposal to build the school.
"I don't see any logic in waiting," said Peterson. "We have extreme overcrowding in the west county area. This school would go a long way towards alleviating that. This is a win-win for the county — more than 300 work force housing units, a brand new school, smart growth development, 1,000 houses in a defined area."