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At the final public hearing July 30 on the proposed North Laurel Community Center, local residents said they were worried a large wetland area would be destroyed and wildlife would be displaced by the center's presence.

About 30 people came to the hearing on the proposed center, which will be located west of Route 1 along Whiskey Bottom Road. The 60,000-square-foot facility will be similar to the Glenwood Community Center in Howard County. The master plan for the center was designed with the input of North Laurel community groups, and the project is being funded by both the state and Howard County.

The $19.5 million center will host activities for all ages, including parks and recreation offices, a senior center, a gym and weight room, a teen room, a computer room, a child-care center, a performing arts space, and an arts and crafts room. An additional $5.7 million will be spent on outdoor recreation areas for a park that surrounds the community center, including baseball fields and a skate park.

"There's a huge need for this kind of facility in this area," said Savage resident Janis Markopoulos, who added the center would provide recreation and after-school activities for children.

Some residents still have reservations about the project.

"It's not only the wetlands that will be hurt, it's all the animals that live there, every kind of animal you can imagine," said Carol Craig, who lives on the edge of the project site.

Laurel resident Pam Jones also said she was concerned that the project could damage the wetlands and displace wildlife.

An access road to the community center, which will connect with Whiskey Bottom Road, was a particular point of contention because of its proximity to the wetland area.

The project's civil engineer, Peter Stone, said it was impossible to build an access road from Route 1 because of private neighborhoods and if the center was from North Laurel Road to the south a major stream and wetland area would have been disturbed.

"They could have put it in a safer location," said resident Tom Ryan, who lives on Whiskey Bottom Road. "[It] is a windy, dangerous road."

Laurel resident Dave Grabowski said the community decided that the access road from Whiskey Bottom would result in less environmental impact.

Del. Guy Guzzone (D-Dist. 13) of Howard County also attended the hearing.

"There will be every effort to minimize impact and to finish [construction] as soon as possible," Guzzone said.

Bridget Fortin, a Laurel resident who has a master's degree in environmental studies, told officials that she hoped the center would have an education program about the wetlands in the area.

"I would like children to see what has been sacrificed … there is a give-and-take here," she said.

Howard County will decide on Sept. 14 whether to proceed with the current plans or adopt any changes based on the public's feedback.

E-mail Tiffany March at tmarch@gazette.net.