HAGERSTOWN, Md. – A plan to annex almost 37 acres along Jefferson Boulevard into the City of Hagerstown led to a long public hearing on Tuesday night. City officials and developers said the project would support strategic residential growth, but Washington County leaders argued it was moving ahead without enough coordination.
The Hagerstown Mayor and City Council discussed the proposed annexation of Clein Farm, a 36.78-acre property at 1140 Jefferson Boulevard, during their July 28 meeting. The annexation, called Annexation 2026-01, will be discussed again on Aug. 11, and a final decision could be made on Aug. 25.
City planning staff members explained that the property is now zoned Residential Suburban in Washington County but would be zoned Residential Medium Density if it were to join the city. The site is in Maryland’s Priority Funding Area and is marked for residential growth in both the county’s new comprehensive plan and the city’s 2018 plan.
The city would provide water and sewer services, but county and state roads would stay under their current control. If the annexation is approved, city police and fire departments would take over those services. The city’s Planning Commission has recommended approving both the annexation and the new zoning.
Corey Linthicum of AEK Real Estate, representing the applicant, said the parcel is one of the last undeveloped properties in an area surrounded by established neighborhoods and businesses along Eastern Boulevard.
Linthicum said bringing the property into the city would help finish a logical development pattern and create new tax revenue, without adding extra costs for current taxpayers.
He told the council that the project would make use of millions already spent on nearby county and state transportation upgrades. The developer would pay for all internal streets and utilities. Linthicum said the city would not need to fund new treatment plants or major improvements to support the development.
“The move paves the way for contiguous, well-planned neighborhood growth while turning a jurisdictional gap into a highly productive municipal asset,” Linthicum said. He also said the project would boost the city’s tax base, generate new utility revenue and support Maryland’s smart growth policies.
Linthicum thanked the Clein family, many of whom were at the hearing, and said they hope to preserve their family’s legacy by turning the property into a valuable community asset.
Washington County officials immediately opposed the proposal.
Attorney Roger Schlossberg, representing Washington County Commissioners, criticized what he called a lack of communication between city and county officials during the annexation process.
Schlossberg said the county has faced repeated annexation efforts by the city and argued that county officials have not been treated as partners, even though the city’s comprehensive plan calls for coordination between the two governments.
He pointed out that Washington County has already spent over $1 million on land and engineering for improvements along Eastern Boulevard. He said that if the county had known the property would be annexed, those improvements might have been planned differently.
Schlossberg also asked why the Clein Farm property was not listed among the annexation areas in the city’s comprehensive plan.
“The county is going to oppose this with every bit of fiber that it has,” Schlossberg told the council, saying the proposal did not have the collaboration needed for regional planning.
After hearing from the applicant and the county, residents and other interested people shared a variety of opinions with the council.
Supporters said the annexation is a logical next step for Hagerstown’s development and would encourage organized residential growth while raising city revenue.
Others raised concerns about traffic, infrastructure limits, neighborhood effects and the city-county relationship as development continues along Eastern Boulevard. Several speakers stressed the need for coordinated planning so growth does not exceed public services and infrastructure.
The annexation proposal is still under review and will return to the Mayor and City Council for further discussion on Aug. 11. The council may vote on the resolution at its regular meeting on Aug. 25.
