HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Hagerstown officials are taking additional steps to confirm the validity of the proposed Climb Farm annexation after Washington County challenged whether the property owners consented.
At a Nov. 3 work session, the Hagerstown City Council reviewed a request to ratify the annexation petition and approve additional paperwork confirming the property owners’ agreement to the proposal.
The annexation is now part of a legal dispute between the city and county. City officials said these steps are intended to address questions about whether the original annexation petition complied with Maryland’s property owner consent rules.
Property owner consent questioned
Matthew Ross, a planner with the City of Hagerstown Department of Planning & Economic Development, said the Climb Farm property has 11 co-owners, and all must be included when determining whether the annexation petition meets the required consent threshold.
One family member signed the original annexation application. However, city officials said they obtained written permission from all 11 property owners before proceeding. He said the paperwork showed that all co-owners had agreed.
Maryland law requires cities to demonstrate that they have the necessary property owner consent before proceeding with an annexation.
Ross suggested that the mayor and council officially ratify the earlier petition to confirm that all required permissions were in place. The plan would also allow the mayor to sign another document confirming the consent process.
Washington County lawsuit prompts additional review
At the work session, a city official said Washington County had filed another lawsuit against Hagerstown, and the property owner consent paperwork was among the issues raised. The discussion showed that the county’s challenge prompted the city to review steps it had thought were already complete.
Council members were frustrated about having to confirm paperwork that staff members said was already sufficient. Ross said they would review any new challenges based on the details.
Despite the legal questions, city officials said the original annexation process included all necessary property owner permissions. The Nov. 3 discussion reflected the city’s view on the consent issue. The work session did not confirm details of Washington County’s lawsuit or its legal arguments.
Annexation timeline expected to remain unchanged
Ross said they did not expect the proposed ratification to slow the Climb Farm annexation process. The issue was scheduled to return to the mayor and council for a formal decision on Nov. 10.
If approved, the ratification would confirm the city’s earlier acceptance of the petition and add additional paperwork to support the property owner consent process.
However, this step would not fully resolve the larger legal dispute with Washington County. The outcome of the lawsuit and any potential effect on the annexation would depend on subsequent legal proceedings.
Burkholder annexation also discussed
Council members briefly asked about another proposed annexation of the Burkholder property. They wanted to know whether Washington County had raised similar concerns about the consent paperwork or process for that proposal.
Ross said the county had not raised similar objections to the Burkholder annexation. No further action on that proposal was discussed during the work session.
City and county dispute continues
The Climb Farm discussion shows that Hagerstown and Washington County still disagree on how to handle municipal annexation. Annexation allows a city to expand by adding property outside its limits, as long as it complies with state and local rules.
These proposals can affect land use, development management, city services, and the relationship between city and county governments. For the Climb Farm property, the key question now is whether the city’s current paperwork clearly demonstrates the required consent to move forward.
Hagerstown officials say all 11 property owners approved the petition, but the county’s legal challenge has prompted the city to take additional steps to prove that consent. The work session did not resolve the lawsuit or the annexation.
