(11/20) The petition submitted at the November 1st town meeting by the leaders of Evasion Thurmont, a group formed following the Town Council’s September vote to annex 16.7 acres of farmland into town limits and rezone it high-density residential development, had the requisite number of signatures on it to trigger the requirement that the annexation be voted on in a referendum by the residents.

In accordance to the town charter, Thurmont must put to vote any decision by the Town Council when a petition receives signatures of at least 20 percent of registered voters.

As of the town's latest election in 2021, Thurmont had 4,553 registered voters, meaning the group needed 905 signatures to meet the 20% criteria. The petition submitted by Evasion Thurmont had 1,253 signatures on it, of which, town staff determined that 1,154 were qualified voters, which represents 25% of Thurmont’s registered voters, exceeding the 20% minimum.

The annexation will now be placed before the residents of Thurmont at a special referendum where residents can vote for, or against, the annexation.

The farmland property owned by Patricia Simmers is located southeast of Apples Church Road, Roddy Road, and Elyer Road intersection. It consists of approximately 24.5 acres. Seven acres are located in town and currently zoned R-5, while the other 17 acres lie in the county and are agriculturally zoned. Thurmont’s 2022 Master Plan has the property identified in its future growth area as ‘high density residential’.

Developer Daniel Cross worked with the town for years to finalize the annexation agreement. Cross looks to build a residential community on the Simmers property with at least 172 residential units, as well as an assisted-living facility and a day care center.

The Town Council narrowly voted in favor of the annexation and zoning change back in September. Commissioners Blakeslee and Hamrick opposed the resolution, with Commissioners Buehrer and Hooper in support. Mayor Kinnaird broke the tie in favor of the motion.

Prior to the approval of the annexation by the Town Council, resident Louise Schafer presented a petition to the council with over 300 signatures in opposition of the development. "I want to make it clear we are not opposed to the annexation, but we are opposed to the R-5 high density residential," she said.

In collecting more then the mandatory 20%, Evasion Thurmont took no chance for a repeat of the failed efforts of Taneytown residents who, in response to the Taneytown City Council’s vote in support of the Sewell Farm annexation, started a petition drive to force a public referendum vote on the annexation. However that group ceased collecting signatures when they gathered the mandatory 20%. however they did not account for the fact that some of the signers where not registered to vote in the town. As a result, when the signatures where validated, they failed to meet the required 20%, allowing the annexation to move forward.