A few miles south of Columbia and Ellicott City in Howard County, North Laurel is poised to become the focus of state attention. The oldest community in the county, and the one with the lowest income, Laurel is transected by U.S. 1, the highway that traverses the Eastern Seaboard through many places built long ago with little thought to smart growth principles.
Yes, parts of Laurel could use a facelift.
A portion of U.S. 1 passing through Laurel. Route 1 traverses through many places built long ago with little thought to smart growth principles. image: Google Maps
Acknowledging that, Howard County leaders have big plans for the area, which has many assets, including U.S. 1 but also proximity to Fort Meade, access to the MARC train and a charming historic area in Savage. Howard County officials have applied to be designated a Sustainable Community, which opens to the door to state funding programs as part of a 2010 program to strengthen reinvestment and revitalization in Maryland’s older communities. More