Future Fire Department in Eldersburg

I thought I had written about this before, but I couldn't find the posting. I take many pictures with the intention of writing about it, then never find the time to write, then can't remember if I wrote it or not, but I'm convinced that I did. Most likely I scripted it in my mind, but never put it on pixels, so to speak.

I was looking through the HOA websites of the local neighborhoods and found information on the zoning for the Carrolltowne and Carrolltowne II neighborhoods. They were part of a PUD (planned unit development). One of the conditions of the zoning was that several acres be reserved for a library, an elementary school, and a fire station. The school and the library were built (Carrolltowne Elementary School in 1977 and the library in the early 1980's). The fire station was slated for the corner of Hemlock Road and Liberty Road. It's current occupant is mostly grass behind Faith Lutheran Church, so obviously it was never built.

Will the county ever build a fire department there? I think it makes sense since there's been a lot of development since the 1970's, plus a lot more is to come. There is the Reservoir Ridge development next to Carrolltowne, which will bring in hundreds of new families. There is a large development on the books behind the VFW off of Arrington. Then there's the old farm off of Ridge Road after you pass Brangles. If I recall correctly, several hundred more homes are to be built on that property, too. Before you know it, Eldersburg will be competing with Glen Burnie and Bel Air for congestion.

Anyway, all fire calls in our area come from Sykesville Freedom Fire Department, which is at least 10 - 15 minutes from our house. There really is no direct route from there to here. Having another small fire department would make sense in that regard. On the other hand, we'd have to deal with the noise. And everyone knows that the only thing worse than putting out fires before your house burns down or getting an ambulance to your house before you die, is having a fire department with noisy vehicles going in and out.

Here is the current Sykesville Freedom Fire Department - the one where the hall next to it burned down after the snow storm in 2009. Remember that?


Here is the current site of the "future" Eldersburg" fire department looking west. That's Faith Lutheran by the trees and Liberty Road to the far right.