Fort Meade Expansion Ignites Fears

5,400 New Workers Will Clog Roads and Crowd Schools, Residents Say

When the Pentagon announced a long-term plan to reorganize the nation's military bases, Fort Meade became one of the region's big winners.

Now, more than a year later, residents near the Anne Arundel County base fear that they might turn out to be the big losers, as developers rush to accommodate an estimated 5,400 additional workers coming to the base.

Residents say the influx of homes and office buildings will put more cars on clogged roads, bring more students to crowded schools and continue to erode the close-knit atmosphere that drew them to the area.

"We're in gridlock now in traffic. We have infrastructure problems with water and sewer. . . . We're worried about the schools," said Ray Smallwood, president of the Maryland City Civic Association. "What we're losing is our resources -- our way of life. We're losing everything."

Last month, an Annapolis developer showed community leaders the plan for Arundel Gateway, which would involve construction of about 1,600 homes, as well as retail establishments, on a 300-acre tract near the intersection of Route 198 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Fort Meade also recently held a public meeting to outline its plan to lease 540 acres to developers who will construct office buildings to support the base's growth.

Those projects would come on top of the 5,000 housing units that county officials say are in the development pipeline for a region that was booming even before the base closing commission announced its decision.

"Every day, it's something new," Smallwood said. "If somebody finds a square foot of land, it's build, build, build."

Like Fort Belvoir in southern Fairfax County, which could pick up more than 22,000 jobs in the base closing process, Fort Meade would draw workers from various military installations closer to Washington. Defense contractors and support businesses are expected to follow.

State transportation planners have begun looking at extending Metro's Green Line north from Greenbelt and widening or improving key arteries such as Baltimore-Washington Parkway and routes 198 and 175. School planners in Anne Arundel and Howard counties are contemplating several new schools.

And politicians running for office this year have seized on development around Fort Meade. A proposal that would have allowed Arundel Gateway to build on property zoned for industrial use was withdrawn from the County Council, leaving the matter to be decided by council members elected in November.

Both candidates vying to replace County Executive Janet S. Owens (D) put growth around Fort Meade at the top of their list of priorities.

"Managing the growth is the central issue in this county," said Del. John R. Leopold, the Republican candidate. "It's going to take a herculean effort to put the county on an even keel" in the face of development, he said. Leopold also said he would update the county's land use plan immediately and devise a more specific capital projects plan to improve infrastructure.