Demolition has already begun on the old Prince George’s Hospital Center, which is proposed as the site of a new residential and retail development that the towns of Bladensburg and Cheverly are feuding over. (Photo by Steve Crane/Maryland Matters)
By John Domen
The Prince George’s County Redevelopment Authority, which technically owns the land where a massive redevelopment project has been in the works for years, is suing the town of Bladensburg over its attempt to annex the property.
The redevelopment authority filed suit in Prince George’s County Circuit Court on Wednesday, asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order and an injunction that would keep the annexation of the former Prince George’s Hospital Center site from going forward. It also asks for declaratory judgment.
Without action, the annexation process would be complete on Feb. 2, which is 45 days after the town voted to move ahead.
In the lawsuit, the county argued that “Bladensburg’s Resolution violates Maryland law, federal law, and will cause RDA [the authority] to suffer irreparable harm if Bladensburg is not” prevented from moving forward.
It also reiterates warnings and arguments the county has previously made to the town, stating that Bladensburg’s plan would create “enclaves, not being contiguous, attempting to annex Federal property, and having an improper annexation plan and process.”
The complaint argues that under Maryland law, annexation can only apply to land “that is ‘contiguous and adjoining to the existing boundaries of the municipality,’ and does not create an unincorporated area that is surrounded by municipal boundaries.”
The annexation plan includes a piece of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, which is owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Another point the county argues is that Bladensburg doesn’t have the resources needed to maintain the property or to drive future development, while also shifting responsibility for maintaining county roads to the county, even after making it part of the town.
Bladensburg leaders have said they were annexing the land in the hopes of redeveloping the site.
However, the county has been working with another developer for years, and millions of county and state dollars have been invested in preparing the 44-acre site for redevelopment.
The current vision calls for the construction of than 1,300 new residential units, while also providing more office and retail space.
Developers, as well as the initial proposal from the county, made clear that the end result was always supposed to be annexation into the town of Cheverly, once the redevelopment was complete. In the past, Bladensburg has suggested that nothing was written in stone on that matter.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday and served to the town on Thursday. A spokesperson for the county declined any further comment, citing pending litigation. The town of Bladensburg also had no comment.
It’s not clear if or when a circuit court judge will rule on any of the county’s requests.
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