With some of the 22,000 people coming to Fort Meade likely to live across the Chesapeake Bay, BRAC planners want to establish a partnership with Queen Anne?s County.
“We should be at the table, at least observers, if not fully participating in something that could impact our county,” said Eric Wargotz, president of the Queen Anne?s County commissioners.
Queen Anne?s, the first stop across the Bay Bridge, is not part of any Base Realignment and Closure planning groups for Fort Meade, but the county, 30 miles from the fort, expects significant growth as a result of the realignment.
More traffic and housing could strain the Queen Anne?s infrastructure, most notably the Bay Bridge, said Bob Leib, the regional BRAC coordinator for Fort Meade.
“When we look at our population, about 60 percent of folks commute to work outside of the county, most across the bridge,” Wargotz said.
And that bridge traffic could affect Anne Arundel as well.
“I think there has to be an effort, an additional link somewhere,” Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold said. “Clearly, we have the responsibility to plan for future growth and regional solutions.”
About 5 percent of Anne Arundel?s work force lives in Queen Anne?s. A Fort Meade spokeswomancould not provide data on how many fort employees live in Queen Anne?s.
Queen Anne?s rural character and waterfront properties would likely attract people, Wargotz
said
“I think the impact, though down the road, is going to be substantial,” he said.
