Residents near the proposed site of two new Howard County schools are campaigning against the project, saying it threatens their community's rural character and raises safety and environmental concerns.
Although most concede that there is a desperate need for more schools in the area, they complain that the 39.4-acre site off winding Gorman Road is the wrong place for the proposed elementary and middle schools.
That stretch of Gorman Road, one of the county's designated scenic routes, has been the home of a horse rescue and boarding stables for the past year. It's also the location of a 100-year-old house that residents say they want preserved as a historic site.
"We want to put the brakes on this thing and get the county to work with us," said Gregory Fries, who lives across the street from the proposed school site and is leading the neighborhood campaign. "We're not against the school going in our community, but we are against the site proposed in its current configuration."
Mr. Fries and others have been visiting neighbors and passing out fliers about the proposed schools. They testified about their concerns at hearings this week and last.
But the Rouse Co., which owns the property, says the land will be developed whether the two proposed schools are placed there or not. If Rouse doesn't sell the land to the school system, it likely would use it for residential development and would use another parcel of more than 100 acres for residential, research and office buildings, said David Forester, a vice president for the developer.
"It's not a matter of it being developed," Mr. Forester said. "It's a matter of when and how." He said that the house that sits on the proposed school site has no historic value other than being an "old farmhouse."
The conflict has intensified in advance of the Feb. 23 school board meeting, at which members are expected to make a final decision on whether to approve purchase of the site. If the project is approved, construction on the middle school would begin in the spring of 1996, and construction on the elementary school would start about a year later.
"We've spent a lot of time looking for a suitable location," said William Grau of the school system's Office of Planning and Construction. "There's just not much available out there."
Few argue with the need for new schools in the area, where existing schools already rely on portable classrooms to accommodate the overflow. Laurel area parents say crowding already is so bad that when the new schools open they're likely to be crowded, too.
"The schools are going to get so packed that a sardine can will look good," said Donna Thewes, who has three children in Laurel area schools and sits on the committee overseeing the new schools project. "In the southeastern area, any land you can get is prime land."
But Gorman Road residents say that's why they are so protective, noting that high-density development already has eaten away many of the remaining wooded areas.
"We need schools, but not at the expense of the character of the neighborhood," said Karina Zimmerman, president of the Hunters Creek Homeowners Association. "Ultimately, we all moved out here because of the character of the area."
Opponents say the construction of schools would require major changes to Gorman Road itself, opening the door to large-scale development in the area.
Much of the undeveloped land in southeast Howard County is owned by the Rouse Co. and developer Kingdon Gould.
If the Rouse Co., or other developers want to develop their property, they would be subject to regulations that protect scenic routes such as Gorman Road. Those regulations include no construction of buildings within 75 feet of the road.
Opponents of the school project argue that those restrictions have deterred widespread development of the property. But they warn that could change if Gorman Road -- a winding country road -- is upgraded to accommodate the buses and other traffic the schools would bring. Last year alone, there were 13 accidents in the stretch near the proposed school site, according to county police.
"The current plan is not taking into consideration the road improvements needed in the area," said Mr. Fries, who in 1990 led a successful campaign against a truck stop at Gorman Road and Interstate 95. "It's a dangerous road."
And if road improvements are made, Mr. Fries said, "here's a case where a school is being built to accommodate future development needs."
The school system is conducting a traffic study to determine what, if any, changes to Gorman Road are needed to accommodate the schools. But county officials don't plan to revoke the scenic route designation.
"Our expectation is Gorman will stay pretty much as is," said Marsha McLaughlin, deputy director of the county's Department of Planning and Zoning, although she conceded that some changes could be made for safety reasons.