European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sept 17, of sower who Man  in Tao Anund during Tiff baffle Ota Nottom. Bulldozing Antietam civil War Battlefield threatened by developers by Deb Fliethmann associated press it was 125 years ago thai Ida Blue and he Gray marched across South Mountain near . And engaged in Iho Battle of Anli Elam Theta Diesl Smaglo Day of inc c Vil War. Today developers arc approaching Hal Edge in Western Maryland Ihre Lening 1o spoil one of Tho Best preserved civil War Balliol holds in the East South Mountain has been a natural ally with the balls Erteld in keeping development out says Dennis Fry president Al the save historic Anli Elam foundation inc. But it s creeping around Ina Mountain and that s a dangerous  Tho Battle of Antietam began at Dawn on sept. 17, 1862 on 7,000 Hilly acres along the Potomac flavor about 60 Miles Northwest of Washington . When the smoke cleared morn than 23.000 Union and Confederate soldiers were dead wounded or missing. As the Battlefield commemorates ils 125th anniversary Urban development is moving West from the Baltimore and Washington do areas into the Antietam Valley. This is an Issue of National ramifications Frye says we Are talking about bulldozing our battlefields and i Don t want the responsibility on my shoulders of watching this generation destroy our civil War history. Americans stained Trie Battlefield there with their Wood thecia must tie a Compromise Between developers and preservationists. We Cue not opposed to development bul we Don t want Sharpsburg to become another commercial gel  the National Park service owns about 300 acres out ngh and controls another t .200 acres in easements Frye says. Although just 2,000 acres of the 7.000 Aero historic Battlefield Are protected a Lack of development has helped keep it Well preserved. The oppo silo of in is Gettysburg says Roger Long associate editor of Blue s Cray Magazine based in Columbus Ohio they have absolutely sold it to the highest bidder everybody s heard of Gettysburg but not everybody has heard of Antietam. Yet it was the single bloodiest Day i have Boon All alone at Aniio Tam. I be walked up the bloody Lano whore there were bodies slacked so you Cou re walk and never touch the ground it s Kinda spooky i Don l think you could Ever do Hal Al Gettysburg no Matler what time of the Day or what time of the year you were there " besides having South Mountain As a natural Barrier to development from the East Farmers who own land surrounding Tho Anli Elam Ball Leliefld have nol sold their properly to developers they have continued to work the Earth passing the farms from one generation to another. The arms Are still arms and the fences Are still where they were 125 years ago. One Park Ranger remarked that it they could come Back the soldiers would recognize the exact spot where they ought development also has been limited because the goo residents of nearby Sharpsburg have nol tried la Caler to the thousands of civil War bulls and tourists who visit Antietam every year. Tourism officials say More than 600,000 people visit the Battlefield annually but says Sharpsburg mayor Gerald Quinn in All honesty we Don t sea  because we Haven t aimed business at them there is no reason for them to come into town he says. Not so at Gettysburg about 50 Miles North of Antietam on july 3,1663, in a last ditch Effort to break the Center of the Union lines at Gettysburg Confederate Gen. Robert a Lee ordered 15.000 men under Gen. George e. Picket to charge the Union ranks. When Pic Kolfs charge tailed the Confederate army was forced la end its 1863 invasion of the North and withdraw into Virginia. Today the Lite of the Northern end of Sickoll s charge is heavily developed. There s Block alter Block of last food restaurants souvenir shops and motels Frye Saya. Ii has been completely destroyed. Nobody raised their voices in alarm in Gettysburg and. As a result in is one of our most Blanket disasters in terms of historic  Bob Davidson assistant superintendent of Gettysburg National military Park says in 9 hard to compare the two Silea because Gettysburg has always been situated in a More densely populated area. I m afraid it s Loo Lale to turn Back the clock on Gettysburg but the Park continues to express concern about How development lakes place Davidson says. There has been Somo  could Antietam could end up looking like Gettysburg in 1985, a shopping censer was proposed on the Grove farm outside the Park service s boundaries. The Washington county commissioners rezoned 20 acres of Tho Iso acre historic tract just South of Sharpsburg. For commercial us. The rezoning alarmed preservationists. The Grova Faim was the backdrop of famous photographs taken when president Abraham Lincoln travelled to the Anu Etam Battlefield to Confer with Union commander George b. Mcclellan the farm also served As a Field Hostila Loi soldiers irom both the North and South. We Tell Trie area deserved More than Asphalt parking Lols Neon signs and souvenir Trinkall shops Fry says preservationists collected 5,000 signatures in 30 Days through civil War round tables across the United states and after various court Battles the reining was found to be null and void. The Issue was appealed however and the Maryland court of special appeals ruled thai three properties adj cell 1o the farm including a 12-acre tract targeted Lor a shopping Center were legally rezoned in 19b5 irom agricultural and conservation id commercial. Meanwhile the save historic Antietam foundation has continued to Light other zoning Bailies. Also 1he staid recently gave 150,000 to the county which has sat up a special committee to study preservation around the Battle Lioko and Southern Washington county. The Beauty of Antietam in thai ii looks the same As it did 125 years  says Bob o Connor. Washington county s tourism director. But thai does t mean you could t put a restaurant downtown in a building and preserve 1he front of it like the  o Connor is pushing for a formal plan Tor controlled growth in the area wore and More lires Are going to come Over the  o Connor says. I be heard that development up in nearby Frederick county is moving toward us Al a Rale of 17 feel a Day. I Don l know where that came irom or where they started marking bom. Bul it s obvious that development is coming Thia Way. The next Frontier so to speak is Here in the  Page 18 the stars and stripes