Liriodendron Area Annexation Request: November Hearing Planned

BEL AIR, MD — Before the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners votes on annexation of property near the Liriodendron mansion, it will hear from constituents. A public hearing on the proposed annexation is slated for Nov. 16.

The hearing comes after the Bel Air Planning Commission recommended approving a developer's request to annex land off West Gordon Street north of Catherine Street from Harford County into the town of Bel Air. The company — Liriod LLC — plans to split the property into three lots and build on them.

"It’s set for development," Dennis Reimann, managing member of Liriod LLC, said at the Oct. 1 planning commission meeting.

More than 60 people attended the meeting, including nearly 20 who said they were opposed to the annexation and future development of the site.

"This is a special place and should be preserved to the extent that it can," Coleen West, who lives on nearby West Gordon Street, said at the Oct. 1 meeting. She told the commission that she and her neighbors signed a petition asking that the land be preserved for green space.

"I urge you to do the right thing for the community you serve," West said. "Deny this petition for annexation, encourage the town to purchase the property from the developer and establish a park that would not only preserve the integrity of one of the town’s most significant historical sites but provide much-needed green space for town residents to enjoy for generations to come."

The planning commission recommended approval based on three conditions: any future land use is limited to three single-family detached lots; no vehicular access will be allowed on Gordon Street; and the subdivision plan must include a landscape buffering plan.

Here are the conditions the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners is now considering:

• The area to be annexed, and the owners of all property therein, shall be generally subject to the provisions of the Charter of the Town of Bel Air without special treatment as to rates of the municipal tax or as to municipal services and facilities.
• The land lying within the area annexed will be R-1 (low-density residential district) as described in the development regulations of the Town of Bel Air, Town Code, and subject to all provisions and conditions of said ordinance.
• The property will be subject to the following conditions of annexation:
  • Any future land use shall be limited to single family detached dwellings.
  • Vehicular access to any proposed dwellings shall be from Catherine Street.
  • A landscaped buffer along the north property boundary shared with the Liriodendron private drive shall be required at the time of subdivision with planting type, size and spacing to be reviewed by the Planning Commission.

Public Hearing Details

The hearing on the Catherine Street annexation charter resolution 133-20 is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16.

People may submit comments by email at boardofcommissioners@belairmd.org and/or attend and comment by teleconference at 1-877-568-4106 with access code 614-751-925.

Related: Land By Liriodendron Can Be Annexed: Bel Air Planning Commission