Annexation Updates

Facts:

·     Greenbelt and College Park are attempting to annex certain parts of BARC and in the latter case, parts of Beltsville including parts of Sellman Road (over by the library). College Park council members also stated at their April 21st meeting that they would like to go even further north into Beltsville.

·     There is a bill in the Maryland House (House Bill 1267, Patuxent Research Refuge and Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - Zoning Classification (Protecting Patuxent Research Refuge Act) and the short and sweet is that there will need to be a local zoning person/agency to watch over and maintain all parcels of land that fall under the designation laid out (ie Land XYZ is zoned as ABC, but all land zoned for ABC will need to be overseen by the person/agency). Said designations would also have certain restrictions as well. Meaning BARC couldn’t be easily split up amongst other cities as it would fall under certain designations that the annexation rules wouldn’t cover. And as of this writing, the bill has passed the Maryland State Assembly and is headed for signature with Governor Moore!

·     There is also HB 1178, which also passed, which prohibits one legislative district from annexing part of another legislative district.

·     We are expecting updated maps from Greenbelt’s County Council that would ensure that their annexations wouldn’t go past Beaver Dam Creek, but they have not been provided yet.

·     BARC is federal land that cannot be bought, sold, or developed without an act of Congress.

Why This Matters:

·     Beltsville could lose a significant amount of land.

·     We were not consulted, nor considered, for this conversation by our sister cities.

·     It would shift taxes and land usage.

·     It would diminish the power Beltsville has, especially as an unincorporated city.

And yet:

We Beltsvillians are faced with the issue that while our sister cities have the good intentions of wanting to protect important land against an administration that has cared little for laws or procedures, it still would negatively impact Beltsville-and we haven’t had a seat at the table.

Actions:

·     Make your voice heard! Contact our Maryland reps:

·     Senator Jim Rosapepe: jim.rosapepe@senate.state.md.us

·     Speaker & Representative Joseline Peña-Melnyk: joseline.pena.melnyk@house.state.md.us

·     Representative Mary A. Lehman: mary.lehman@house.state.md.us

·     Representative Ben Barnes: ben.barnes@house.state.md.us

·     Write to the College Park and Greenbelt Mayors, discussing your opposition to the annexations.

·     There is also a group, Beltsville United, that is working to connect and do outreach in our community. This could be another way to tackle the issues, including possible incorporation. To join, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beltsvilleunited