Protect a Laurel Forest!
27 acres of forest are at risk of destruction in our city. A developer, Pulte Homes, proposes to convert this land to high-density housing in Ward 2. “Corridor Center” would be at the north end of Contee Road.
Direct impacts to Laurel residents:
27 acres of green space permanently lost
Increased traffic, noise, and pollution from 300 to 600 more cars per day
Reduced public safety on nearby roads
No homes for songbirds, pollinators, and other animals
Increased pollution of our creeks from stormwater runoff
Unaffordable housing for most Laurel residents
Imagine protecting that forest instead
Are 27 acres a big deal? Today, the land hosts thousands of trees, which are homes for birds, insects, and larger animals. Residents there say they love having a dense, green space so close by. It dampens the noise from nearby I-95 and gives the neighborhood a quiet atmosphere. Research shows that green spaces are essential to public health and overall wellbeing.
According to the city’s master plan, Ward 2 is supposed to have 225 acres of parkland, yet there are fewer than 100 acres. Instead of cutting down the forest, the city could purchase the land with grant money, protecting it from future development, as other communities have done. Walking trails could be built to encourage resident enjoyment, increasing Ward 2’s parkland instead of diminishing it.
For more details, please view the slide presentation from the November community meeting.
Laurel for the Patuxent encourages all residents to contact their city officials to voice concern about the Corridor Center development.
Click the button for your ward to generate a draft email message you can customize and send to the mayor and your councilmembers. Be sure to include your name and address at the bottom!
If the buttons don’t work in your browser, see below for copy and paste option!.
Step 1: Find your elected officials
Mayor
Keith R. Sydnor ksydnor@laurel.md.us
At Large
Christine Johnson cjohnson@laurel.md.us
Ward 1
Carl DeWalt cdewalt@laurel.md.us
James Kole jkole@laurel.md.us
Ward 2
Kyla Clark kclark@laurel.md.us
Jeffrey Mills jmills@laurel.md.us
Step 2: Write your message
Start with the template below and craft your own message. Include your Ward, how much you value nature and green space in the city, and why you’d like to see high-density developments kept out of Laurel.
SUBJECT LINE:
Protect the Forest, Oppose Pulte’s Corridor Center!
BODY:
To ELECTED OFFICIAL:
I am a resident of the City of Laurel and want you to oppose the Corridor Center development by Pulte Homes. The development will clear cut thousands of trees, destroy habitat, and increase traffic tremendously in the neighborhood. The new row houses will be high-density and cost more than most Laurel residents can afford.
Laurel for the Patuxent, our local environmental non-profit, has spoken with residents near the proposed development and they are concerned that increased traffic (as much as 600 new cars a day) on the one lane roads will increase pollution and create a dangerous environment for pedestrians and cyclists. Many Laurel residents have expressed that they want a future with less congestion, crowding, traffic, and pollution.
Instead, please choose to conserve the 27 threatened acres of forest for the benefit of current residents and for future generations. Walking trails could open the space for enjoyment by Ward 2 residents, who need 125 more acres of parkland according to the city master plan. Today, it is also home to birds, mammals, and important insects that we could protect rather than displace by clear cutting the forest. Laurel can follow the example of other Maryland cities and buy the land with funding from grants.
Please oppose this project during council votes and follow the guidance of the city master plan by conserving the last bit of forest in Ward 2.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
Not sure which ward you live in?
Check out this map: https://www.cityoflaurel.org/192/Voting-Wards-and-Polling-Places
Want to share this with others?
Share the link to this webpage or print out a flier and share with neighbors.
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Check out the steps below.
