Anne Arundel County residents push back on proposed townhome development in Severna Park

Residents in the Severna Park area, in Anne Arundel County, are weighing in on a proposed residential subdivision that would bring 135 townhomes to the property currently known as the Severna Park Golf Center.

The proposed development has sparked significant discussion online, with some community members saying the area needs more affordable housing. Others argue the neighborhood is already overburdened, particularly when it comes to traffic and infrastructure.

The Severna Park Golf Center and the developer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Community members will have the opportunity to learn more about the proposal and ask questions at a community meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. at the Severna Park Library.

Traffic concerns

Paul Spadaro, a lifelong resident and president of the Magothy River Association, said the area's geography limits the ability to ease congestion.

"Because of the Magothy and the Severn close together, there is little room for any kind of infrastructure to alleviate the traffic patterns that are now clogging our roads," Spadaro said.

Traffic concerns also prompted District 5 County Councilmember Amanda Fiedler to call for the plan to be halted. In a social media post, Fiedler said the proposal should be pulled immediately.

"The proposed number of townhomes is detrimental to the ongoing traffic challenges our communities and families already experience on a regular basis at this section of the Rt. 2 corridor and nearby College Parkway," Fiedler said in a statement to WJZ.

Environmental impact worries

Spadaro, who has served as president of the Magothy River Association for more than 30 years, also expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact on the Magothy River and its surrounding watershed.

"As you put more homes in or more cars, you're compounding the problems that we are facing to try to resolve in the Magothy," Spadaro said.