Ingrid Mezo

(7/18) Buckeye Development has expressed interest in resubmitting to Emmitsburg another annexation request for Silver Fancy Farm. The developer's last request to annex the property caused a lot of uproar in the town, and resulted in divisions among town officials.

This go around is in its early stages, town officials said last week. So far, the developer has only met informally with Town Planner Mike Lucas to feel out how the town would respond, Mayor James Hoover said.

Annexation and development of the property are potentially separate issues, Commissioner Chris Staiger said in an e-mail.

Staiger is opposed to considering a residential annexation and subdivision on this scale because "the first stages of repairs to the municipal sewer system are not even concluded and these improvements' impact on the wild water infiltration problem and treatment plant overflows will need to be assessed."

An annexation of Silver Fancy Farm to the town would cause severe traffic problems in Emmitsburg, Commissioner Bill O'Neil said.

"The problem is the state has welcome rest areas, and the state intends to close the access from North Seton to North [Route] 15," O'Neil said. "That means traffic will have to be forced southward. Those homes that will be built in that area will increase traffic problems there. The problem is if you add 130 homes, you will add to the traffic volume at our one main intersection."

In addition, owners of the Waybright Property, also known as Emmitsburg Glass, submitted an annexation request to create a business park, zoned for light industrial use north of Creamery Road, on the East Side of Route 15. The developers still need to provide a substantial amount of information to the town before town officials will enter into formal annexation negotiations, Staiger said. The owner moved relocated from an original sight bought up by W.F. Delauter & Son.

"I actually support [the owners] relocation ... and the commissioners voted to remove some restrictions that would make it more financially feasible for him to move there," O'Neil said.