A proposed 200-foot water tower in Crownsville, Maryland, has ignited a fierce dispute over who gets a say when major infrastructure projects are placed near residential neighborhoods.
Residents who live near the site have now sued Anne Arundel County, hoping to stop the project before the tower is built beside their neighborhood.
What's happening?
The lawsuit centers on a proposed 1-million-gallon water tank on Moose Lodge property off Crownsville Road. Nearby residents say Anne Arundel County chose that location without using the proper legal process, even though the tower is meant to improve water service for more than 3,000 people in and around Heritage Harbour, as The Baltimore Banner reported.
On June 7, Crownsville resident Dominic Prokop, who is leading the lawsuit, used Facebook to voice his opposition. He wrote, "A decision has been made about us, without us. Again." He also said, "We are not against this tower. We are against building it surrounded by homes when a better alternative exists."
County officials have answered that criticism by backing the chosen site. In a June 4 letter included in the court filing and described by The Baltimore Banner, Public Works Director Karen Henry called the location efficient and a "fiscally responsible option for utility rate payers." Henry added, "This location is necessary to secure the community's water infrastructure."
The June 30 lawsuit says the county's action is "premised on errors of law" because its master water and sewage plan still lists the aging Broad Creek tower site, rather than Crownsville Road, as the replacement location.
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Why does it matter?
The dispute reflects a tension many communities face: Essential infrastructure may be needed, but residents still raise concerns about transparency, property values, and quality of life.
According to The Baltimore Banner, residents say they did not receive proper notice when the Moose Lodge site was introduced in March 2025. Opposition later coalesced into a local coalition that gathered more than 300 signatures, and a November 2025 survey cited by the paper — with more than 200 responses — found that property values were the top concern and that the most popular alternative site was not ultimately chosen.
County officials, though, say the tower addresses real system problems. The Baltimore Banner reported that Heritage Harbour relies on a single water main connected to the aging Broad Creek water tower, and that setup has brought water pressure problems and expensive repairs. Henry said the new structure would also strengthen fire safety.
What's being done?
Prokop's suit asks the court to stop the current site selection and require the county to use a more formal process if it wants to move the project, including adopting an ordinance to change the location designated in the master plan.
Meanwhile, county officials are pressing ahead with the broader goal of completing the tower by 2028. Public Works has defended the Crownsville Road site, saying other alternatives — including the North River Road location preferred by many residents — faced "critical hydraulic constraints and high construction costs."
Local elected leaders are also trying to navigate both sides of the dispute. Council member Lisa Rodvien, who represents the area, as reported by The Baltimore Banner, said she believes the agency has been transparent. "I know there's a need," she said, pointing to recent fires in Heritage Harbour and water main breaks.
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