March 23, 2026
Maryland’s Historic East Towson Fighting To Preserve Town’s Last Forest And Wetlands
Residents say they’re already seeing impacts from site clearing that began Feb. 16.
Residents of Maryland’s historic East Towson—founded by formerly enslaved people—are continuing a decade-long fight to block a development they say would destroy the community’s last forest and wetlands.
Construction at East Towson’s Red Maple Place has been halted after the Maryland Department of the Environment found permit violations, AFRO.com reports. The 56-unit affordable housing project has drawn pushback from residents and lawmakers, who are calling for accountability to protect the historic community founded in the 1850s by formerly enslaved people from the Ridgely estate.
“East Towson, a historically African-American community, has consistently borne a disproportionate burden from the development of Towson as a town center and from the expansion of local government and amenities,” said State Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-MD-43). “Since the 1960s, most affordable housing, highway and transit projects have been placed in East Towson. These projects have demolished single-family homes, separated community centers from residential areas with multilane roads, destroyed old-growth trees and recreational green spaces, and eliminated a Negro League Baseball field to construct a BGE substation.”
“All these changes have primarily benefited expanding housing and commercial developments, often at the expense of East Towson’s residents,” she added.
Residents say they were not properly notified of the project.
“There were no required public notices before construction,” said Michele Yendall, a resident of nearby Harris Hill, noting the site wasn’t fenced until work began.
An MDE report cited multiple violations, including clearing the site without permits, lacking a stormwater plan, and failing to conduct inspections or post public notice.
Residents say they’re already seeing impacts from site clearing that began Feb. 16. After heavy rain, standing water and sediment runoff remain visible, according to East Towson resident Martha Levene. Nearby resident Michele Yendall also raised concerns about potential damage to a parking lot support wall, warning that tree and soil removal could cause failure—something she says hadn’t been an issue in over 30 years before construction began.
”In my professional life, I became aware of the fragility of our environmental ecosystem and its negative impacts on Baltimore area communities, especially those that are lower income and predominantly African American,” Washington said.
Washington stressed that controlling stormwater runoff is critical to protecting the Chesapeake Bay, local waterways, and drinking water. While she received responses from state agencies, she said Baltimore County has been largely unresponsive on developer variances and appears unwilling to enforce environmental protections before approving plans. Residents expressed appreciation for Washington and MDE’s efforts.
Dana Johnson, president and CEO of Homes for America, said the project received approval from all county departments and moved forward after obtaining an MDE stormwater permit. She added that the development is expected to strengthen and unify the community, not harm it.
”Homes for America does not believe that affordable housing divides communities or ‘destroys the neighborhood’ as our opponents have said,” Johnson said. “We believe that affordable housing builds community by providing quality housing options that are affordable to the community’s essential workers, seniors and persons with disabilities.”
Washington is urging concerned residents statewide to contact Baltimore County officials and agencies to demand environmental accountability.
RELATED CONTENT: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Supports Residents Affected By Shutdown With $4.6M Funded Program
