Cars that drive down route 97 South in Sykesville are greeted with a peaceful country scenery: scattered homes and sprawling open space.
But that may change if developers get their way. Carroll County's master growth plan would designate several thousand acres of land in Westminster, Mt. Airy, Taylorsville and Sykesville for commercial, business or industrial parks.
Mt. Airy resident Skip Colvin said, “I don't understand how the County can continue to railroad this community like this."
Tom Devilbiss the Deputy Director of the Department of Planning explained, “We're looking at a 20 year plan so this is looking at something in that 20 year period maybe beyond or maybe never." But if it happens in 20 years, that means about 200 families living in Mt. Airy would have to give up their farms or homes. Kimberly Hoban said, “This is nothing more than a backhanded way at imminent domain without just compensation.”
Monday night, residents sold buttons and made signs protesting the County’s proposal. Nearly 800 strong showed up for a community meeting to discuss what they consider a plan to steal their property, a plan they said the county never told them about. “How many people heard about it from their neighbor?” Colleen Colvin asked the crowd that broke out in wild applause. Another concern is that construction could damage local waterways, environmental facts they say were not made clear. “You're feeding us documents that are false they do not represent the truth," said Joel Jesse.
The debate is far from over there will be several public hearings in the coming months. If the plan is completely blocked there are no other land options, the board will have to start from scratch.
