Simmers Annexation Approved Again

James Rada Jr.

In what has been a contentious development project and annexation process, the Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners approved the annexation of the 16.7-acre Simmers property for the development of 61 single-family homes after a public hearing. The parcel is currently zoned for agricultural use.

Following the end of the public hearing on the annexation, Mayor John Kinnaird said, “We have now had two public hearings on this and taken public comments both times. We have heard from residents. We have had our required changes addressed by the developer on the proposal for the annexation of the property.”

The vote was 4-1, with only Commissioner Martin Burns voting against it.

The approval is also supposed to end the lawsuit between the developer Cross and Company and the Albert Courts homeowner association, nearby residents, Frederick County, and the town to have an unused stormwater management facility removed from the Simmers property. Cross and Company will remove the stormwater facility and replace it themselves as long as there is no referendum to overturn the annexation vote.

The new development, Albert Meadows, will be on the annexed property and property that is already within the town boundaries and zoned for high-density residential use. The 24.5-acre neighborhood will be located between Apples Church and Graceham roads.

Although the annexation was approved, it could be overturned through a referendum vote, which is what happened with the first attempt to annex the Simmers property.

The development plan will also need to be approved. Besides the homes, the revised plan includes park space, wider space between homes, and traffic-calming measures with connecting roads.

Most of the speakers at the hearing felt that the plan for Albert Meadows was as good as it was going to get, and it needed to be approved to put the litigation to rest.

Commissioner Christopher Stouter said the approved plan had “come a long way” since the first plan that proposed 192 homes.

The property was first approved for annexation in 2022, but town voters overwhelmingly voted to overturn it the following year through a referendum vote.

Some of the speakers asked that the name “Albert” be removed from the project name. Albert Zentz, after whom the project is named, was not involved with the Simmers property. Commissioner Bob Lookingbill suggested that the development be renamed “Simmers Meadows” instead. It is something that will be considered.

“This has been a long process,” Lisa Lawler Graditor, the attorney representing Cross and Company, told the commissioners. “It’s involved a lot of give and take. Our team has listened to the community, and we have presented a concept plan tonight that is responsive and that we feel like is consistent with the town’s vision for the property.”

The vote locked in the concept plan. It cannot be changed even if another developer were to come in and take over the project.