Perhaps it is human nature to carve out a homestead for oneself and then assume that everything around you will remain the same so long as you are there. We see this over and over again in rapidly developing Howard County. As a new project is proposed, residents -- many of whom are recent arrivals and the cause of so much development themselves -- come out in protest. Often in their struggle, they say they want to maintain the rural character or historic significance of their neighborhood. But the real reason is that people simply don't like change.
Such appears to be the case for some residents of Gorman Road who have banded together to block the proposed construction of two schools on a 40-acre site owned by the Rouse Co. The parcel is adjacent to the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Co-op and is now used as a boarding stable for rescued horses. It is also the site of a 100-year-old house that residents say they want to see preserved as a historic landmark.
In a strange twist, residents say they want the schools in their community -- but not at the Gorman Road site. County officials counter that only two other suitable properties exist in the area, but neither is available. That leaves the community in a pickle. Though a number of communities are crying out for new schools to cope with overcrowding, some of the residents of Gorman Road seem willing to risk not having any.
There is no reason to believe that the protesters represent the majority of residents, although they have been the most vocal to date. It would not surprise us if more residents want the two schools than those willing to jump on the preservation bandwagon.
The historic significance, if any, of the farmhouse on the property may be worth investigating. While it appears the house is not on the national or state registries of historic properties, county officials acknowledge that it was identified on a county list of historic sites 20 years ago. But its mere presence on the list does not qualify it for protection. And, even if the farmhouse were saved, it appears nothing will halt development of the parcel around it. Rouse Co. officials say that if schools are not built there, a residential community will most likely take its place. Even if the residents succeed in blocking the school, something else will no doubt change the character of that land.