BOWIE, Md. — There is an ongoing legal battle brewing in Bowie. Developers want to put new townhouses near Freeway Airport on Church Road. People living nearby are pushing back against the idea.
"We are not against growth, right? We actually embrace growth," said Michael Bridges.
Bridges is one of about a dozen people making up the group Concerned Citizens of Prince George’s County.
"We think growth is good for the county... The issue is we want growth to be smart," Bridges said.
The group sued after the previous council passed a text amendment to allow the area around Freeway Airport to be rezoned – allowing for much higher density development. Developers wanted to bring hundreds of townhomes and single-family homes. A circuit court judge agreed with the developers, so the group took it to the Maryland court of special appeals.
“Too many sort of special favors have been granted to developers who basically want to put high density anywhere they want, anywhere that is most profitable for them as opposed to what benefits the county,” Bridges said.
The appellate court agreed with the group reversing the decision of the lower court. According to court documents, "The airport owners have essentially bullied the council by claiming that — as holders of a nonconforming, allegedly dangerous, airport — they will intensify the usage, making it more dangerous, unless the council accords them the density of their choice.“
After multiple calls and emails, the owners of Freeway Airport did not respond for comment.
"We do not have the infrastructure there for townhomes. It is a low-density area. It is a two-lane road," said District Six Prince George's County Councilwoman Wala Blegay.
Freeway Airport decided to take the case to the highest court in the state – the state supreme court. Prince George's County Council for District Six decided not to wait. In the meantime, they’ve passed what’s called CB-17 2023. It repeals the previous council’s amendment that allowed for the area to be rezoned.
"We are sending a message to developers to the business community that we do not want to densify every area of Prince George's County. We really want to maintain the character that is intended," Blegay said.
There is no word on when the state supreme court will make its decision.