Opponents worry about traffic congestion and fear the building could dwarf the houses along the water.
And they say the condo project conflicts with the community plan and could set a precedent for other marina owners to sell to developers - changing the atmosphere of a place where there are still more boatyards than stop lights.
Others in the community were upset about how the Bowleys Quarters Improvement Association handled the debate about the project. Several called for the impeachment of Mike Vivirito, president of the organization.
In October, the community hall was so packed for the impeachment vote - seen as a referendum on the condo plan - that the meeting was postponed because attendance exceeded the hall's capacity.
But in subsequent meetings, community leaders deemed that there were no grounds to impeach the group president.
Vivirito declined to comment on the attempts to impeach him, saying: "Instead I want to stay focused on the future of our community and how we can improve the quality of life in Bowleys Quarters."
About a dozen members most critical of the condos and the association's handling of the project were told their membership in the improvement association was revoked for a year, said Janet Walpert, one of those shunned.
The residents were later told the board would reconsider the action, Walpert said.
But by then, the new Bowleys Quarters Community Association was forming, with articles of incorporation, bylaws and a Web site: www.bqca.org. The first membership meeting is this week.
When asked about the new community group, Vivirito read a statement: "We hope that as time goes on, we'll find a way to work together for the benefit of the whole community.
"Until that time, the Bowleys Quarters Improvement Association will continue its mission with the same dedication, effectiveness and service it's given for over 70 years."
Lagna was elected at a recent organizational meeting as community association president, in part because he was not among those involved in the fracas, he and other residents say.
"With the stress and strain within the community, something had to be done to be more unified," Lagna says.
Beyond the condo project, which is making its way through the county development process, there are other issues that the new group needs to address, such as the PUD regulations and the rezoning process in the county, Lagna says.
The first membership meeting of the Bowleys Quarters Community Association will be 7 p.m. tomorrow at St. Matthew Lutheran Church at 3620 Red Rose Farm Road.
The Bowleys Quarters Improvement Association meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at its hall, 1124 Bowleys Quarters Road.
County development officials have scheduled a community input meeting on the Galloway Creek condo project. It will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in Room J-137 of the administration building at the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County, 7201 Rossville Blvd.
laura.barnhardt@baltsun.com
