Annapolis residents concerned about potential annexation of Carr's Manor

CBS News

2 days ago

The city of Annapolis is reviewing a petition to annex an area called Carr's Manor.
If it goes through, the annexation will pave the way for a developer to build more than a dozen homes.
Some neighbors told WJZ the move would hurt their quiet way of life.
Tyler Goble said he and several of his neighbors on Carr's Road received a letter back in April.
"I was honestly upset and surprised to hear that they wanted to come through this quiet little street of ours and redesign it and develop it," Goble said.
Attorneys representing developer Robert Bontempo sent the letter to notify neighbors that they were filing a petition for the city of Annapolis to annex about seven acres of Bontempo's property in that neighborhood.
The annexation would mean connecting to city utilities, allowing Bontempo to build more homes.
Bontempo and his attorney, Alan Hyatt, presented the petition at a city council meeting on June 16.
"This is not going to cause some massive amount of development or traffic. We're talking about potentially 14 more houses," Hyatt said at the meeting.
Goble told WJZ he is seriously concerned about how that would impact the neighborhood.
"Regardless, we still don't want 14 houses down here," said Goble. "Being able to connect with wildlife and the quietness of the street is something we don't want to lose."
Goble said he is also worried about the potential cost and the headache of connecting utilities.
"We'd all have to rip our yards up and get city sewer and water," Goble said.
Bontempo did not immediately respond to WJZ's request for comment, but he said during the preliminary review of the petition at the June 16 council meeting that he would try work with city council to make sure neighbors would not have to pay out of pocket to connect to water and sewer.
"So these people are happy, everybody wins, and the city will get the benefit of future tax revenues," said Bontempo.
City leaders have not taken a position as it's still early in the process. The petition was referred to the Department of Public Works and Planning and Zoning.