Developer's Tax Advantage Criticized

Trammell Crow Senior Vice President Mark S. Corneal noted that basic services for the planned office park, such as fire and police protection, will be provided by Fort Meade rather than the county.

"We shouldn't be asked to pay for more than our fair share," said Corneal, who works in Trammell Crow's Washington office.

The issue, which has simmered among local officials for several months, arose again during a meeting Monday in Columbia that drew state, county and Fort Meade officials as well as business people.

During the session, John D. Porcari, Maryland secretary of transportation, said the planned lease at Fort Meade, like similar arrangements at other Maryland military bases, is "problematic for us, quite frankly."

"We did not anticipate the very substantial development, the substantial impact on transportation and public infrastructure use," he said. "BRAC growth should have to pay its fair share."

Similar leases are being negotiated at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County and Fort Detrick in Frederick County, said Bob Penn, director of the enhanced-use lease program for the Army.

Robert C. Leib, Leopold's special assistant for base realignment issues, said the Trammell Crow project will affect already crowded roads. Local officials would like to extend Odenton Town Center Boulevard to the site Trammell Crow is developing, to ease congestion on Route 175, he said.

Although the company is not subject to the county's development impact fees, "there is an impact," Leib said. "How do you measure that?"

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman (D) said he is concerned that the advantage given to Trammell Crow "will undermine the competitive marketplace when people are looking to locate their businesses in Howard County or Anne Arundel."

Some area business people agree that the firm will realize a windfall in reduced development costs.

"It's such a large project. When it's competing directly against the private sector, that's when it becomes an issue," said Stuart Title, a broker and vice president of leasing with A.J. Properties, an Odenton developer. "There's not a level playing field."