Warfield, a group of 13 former hospital buildings on 96 acres along Route 32 in Sykesville, is the best site for economic development in Carroll County, according to a $50,000 town-commissioned feasibility study released yesterday.

"It has character, good highway access, and a fast-growing base of skilled commuters who have the potential to be a strong in-county work force," the study says.

The research showed South Carroll is the most rapidly growing area in the county, "growing faster than the Baltimore region as a whole."

Although Sykesville commissioned the report to test the possibility of using Warfield for start-up "incubator" technology businesses, the study found that the demand for such enterprises is not strong within the county.

Instead, the study recommended that a satellite college campus, a higher-learning technology center and a health care research facility would be better uses for the site.