Members of the county's Planning and Zoning Commission must have felt like ducks in a shooting gallery for all the hits they took during the Pathways Plan meeting June 15 in the Century High School auditorium.

For those who haven't been following this as closely as yours truly, the Pathways Plan is the county's look at land-use and zoning throughout Carroll County, and it includes changes for future growth, conservation, transportation, parks and other features. The June 15 session was part of a road show that leads up to a vote — probably in the fall.

I went there in the hope of getting fodder for a column.

I wasn't disappointed.

Upon my arrival, I was flabbergasted by the throngs of people (an estimated 900) who showed up, mainly from the Mount Airy and Taylorsville areas, to protest against a proposed rezoning of rural land into office and employment centers in their neck of the woods.

Most said they felt that type of development would be an unwarranted invasion of their property rights.

Unlike the jovial mood one usually finds at a large gathering, those waiting in the long line had the somber look of those attending a funeral, with nary a smile to be seen.

Unless they got there early, there wasn't an empty seat to be found. The overflow had to stand in the back and strain their ears to hear the speakers, who often sounded like they were commenting from inside a deep cave.

County Planning Director Steve Horn decided to forgo his opening remarks — so as to allot more time for those in the audience to be heard. But if he allowed enough time for everyone to speak who wanted to, the wake-up call of a rooster would've been heard before the meeting was over.

Planning Commission Chairman David Brauning did his best to reassure the throng that this Pathways Plan is still in the draft stage — and that changes could be made as a result of the meetings.

But that olive branch did little to calm the hostile audience.

On the way home, I mulled over what I had seen and heard.

Certainly the Planning Commission has a tough row to hoe in trying to convince those who would be affected by this plan.

For them — and others in other parts of the county where employment campuses and other zoning changes are proposed — this Pathways Plan isn't exactly primrose.

I may be wrong, but my intuition tells me that if this "draft" becomes "final," the matter will end up in court, with a judge deciding whether the Pathways Plan flies or dies.

Given that the county's recent losing track record in winning lawsuits — the most recent being the Circuit Court ruling in favor of Forty West, the developer of a Mount Airy parcel (later resolved for $23.5 million when the county decided to purchase the property) — it's problematic whether or not the county would win in a lawsuit over proposed rezoning.

As a betting man, I'd go out on the limb and give 8-1 odds that a judge would stop the county from implementing some aspects of the plan.

Then again, I gave the same odds against someone other than Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open.

I'm still counting my losses on that one.

Quote of the week: "I dislike arguments, for too often the other person is right."

— Oscar Wilde

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, this story initially misstated the outcome of the 2003 Circuit Court ruling in the Forty West case. There was no monetary award. and the county's plan to purchase the 254 acres for $23.5 million prevents further negotiations and court rulings. Forty West had indicated it would seek up to $35 million in damages. The column has been corrected here.

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