It’s coming.(key ominous music) Even after much argument and protest from the people of quiet Monrovia ,MD it looks like the new Town Center is still coming. Where beautiful farmland once stood soon there will be a sea of stores and homes. It makes me sad. Maryland is a small state and a good amount of it borders cities so growth is inevitable I suppose. But I don’t like it.
Monrovia borders the town where I live but my home is pretty far from this new development. But growth is happening all around us and I realize it’s inevitable. I’ve seen too many farms swallowed up by development. I have lived in Maryland my entire life except for a stint in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985. So Maryland is in my heart. I went to school in western Maryland which is part of Appalachia. The beauty in that part of state is phenomenal and it enjoys beautiful farmland and it is slower to grow in the areas around the cities. At least those areas remain pristine. It used to be mostly farmland here in Central Maryland where I live. As populations grew, and small urban centers have been developed, we see the farmland slowly being pushed away and replaced by concrete.
It makes me sad when I know that kids just 15 -20 miles from here may have never been near a live chicken or don’t get to see horses or cows or sheep on regular basis. One of the prettiest things about where I live is the vast fields of beautiful crops and even in the winter they carry so much character and beauty. I’m sad to see them go. But a flat field doesn’t bring money like a flat field with homes and stores on it. Where one cities suburban edge touches another cities suburban edge-leaving no farmland in between.
I’m not against growth. I’m just for smart growth and sometimes the growth I see isn’t smart. I actually majored in Urban Planning in college and my professors took us on tours of areas in Maryland where they felt growth was smart and to others where they thought it was just sprawl which lacked a smart plan. I wonder what they think of the changes in Maryland since 1985.
I consider myself spoiled because I wake up each day and can look out my window at open space. I can see my horses grazing. For some people that wouldn’t be exciting – they may find views of skyscrapers beautiful. We all have our ideas of beauty. But I bet many would agree that urban/suburban encroachment can get out of hand. I hate seeing the farmland leave us.
I’m hoping in my future my husband and I are able to live at the beach. And obviously we will give up the space we have here in the country in order to be close to the ocean. But I surely hope that open space won’t be hours away. I hope people in cities and suburbs don’t have to fly to Iowa to see farmland.
For now I will feel blessed that my backyard joins preservation land and I will hope that maybe someday builders and the powers that be realize that just because you can build homes and businesses all over beautiful farmland doesn’t mean you should. Sadly ,I think the almighty dollar speaks more than a field full of dirt and corn. But I can still hope.
Thanks for reading…
Short article about the approval:
The farm in the backrgound was one of my favorites on Rt 80 in Monrovia. It looks as if they will remain for a while but look in the right side of the photo -can you see the houses being built?
The farm in the pictures above is part of the left side of the map above in the area marked PUD.
Not Ready for AARP 