Neighbors say proposal to expand Twin Rivers development would strain rural area in Anne Arundel County

A decade-old agreement is at the center of a development dispute in western Anne Arundel County, where neighbors are fighting a proposal to add hundreds of homes to the Two Rivers community.

Residents say the additional development would bring more traffic to already congested rural roads and take away green space they were promised.

"Feels like we're being pushed out"

For lifelong resident Andrew Meyer, the fight is personal. His family has called the area home for more than a century. He said his great-grandfather purchased the property in 1899 and moved his family there the following spring.

"My father was born on this property, and I was born on this property, and my kids were born on this property," Meyer said.

Now, residents say they're concerned their way of life is at risk. 

"It almost feels like we're being pushed out, slowly," said Jim Holman, president of the Forks of the Patuxent Improvement Association.

Promises made

At the center of the dispute is a proposal to build 377 additional homes in the neighboring Two Rivers development.

Residents point to a 2016 agreement between the developer and the Forks of the Patuxent Improvement Association that explicitly caps the development at 2,060 homes.

The agreement was negotiated after years of discussions over the development's size and impact on the surrounding community.

Residents say the proposed additional homes would also be built on land known as Parcel O, which they understood was supposed to become an environmental park with walking trails.

Even some residents of Two Rivers say they feel misled.

"There is a pattern of breaking promises and advertising. I call it bait and switch," said Jan Randall, a Two Rivers resident who said she moved to the community, in part, because of the promised environmental park.

Friends of Two Rivers Committee Chair, Ed Riel, said, "You made an agreement 10 years ago, I think you should honor it."

Crowding concerns

Beyond the potential loss of green space, neighbors worry hundreds of additional homes would put even more pressure on the area's narrow, rural roads.

"It's one way in and one way out, and it's already overcrowded," Meyer said.

Residents say much of the additional traffic would travel through the intersection of Conway Road, Meyers Station Road and Patuxent Road before heading toward Route 3, an area they say already experiences significant congestion.

"The infrastructure is not able to keep up with the amount of development," Holman said.

Anne Arundel County has not yet approved the proposed 377 additional homes.

Legal fight underway

Meanwhile, the Forks of the Patuxent Improvement Association is already engaged in a legal battle with the developer, Two Rivers Associates, over alleged violations of the agreement.

The association has accused the developer of building homes closer to existing properties than the 600-foot separation required under the covenant.

Residents say the developer is also seeking to have the agreement invalidated, arguing that the neighborhood association breached its terms.

CBS News Baltimore reached out to the developer and its legal team for comment but has not received a response.

Another court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22.

The neighborhood association is relying on donations to help cover its legal expenses, as residents continue their fight to preserve the character of their community.

"This is a fight that we don't plan on giving up," Holman said. "We plan on taking it to the very end until the court rules one way or the other."