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Rising Sun approves three property annexations along Mount Street and Route 1 corridor
Summary
The Town of Rising Sun voted to accept annexation resolutions for 35 North Hills Drive, 551 Joseph Bates/Biggs Memorial Highway and 523 Mount Street, starting the statutory review period and assigning zoning designations. The measures passed unanimously.
The mayor and commissioners of the Town of Rising Sun voted July 15 to accept three annexation resolutions that start the town's 90-day review process for properties at 35 North Hills Drive, 551 Joseph Bates (also referred to in materials as Joseph Biggs) Memorial Highway and 523 Mount Street.
Town staff presented each annexation in turn and said accepting the resolution begins the statutory review that includes preparing an annexation plan and sending it to the Maryland Department of Planning and Cecil County for comment. County and state review letters included no objections, the administrator said, though the county made a clerical error on at least one letter by referencing the wrong street number.
Under the proposed terms, 35 North Hills Drive would be annexed as approximately 6.866 acres and be assigned the town zoning designation “rural business,” which staff said was intentionally aligned with the county's existing business-general (BG) standard to avoid density conflicts. Staff noted that when a town annexation would lead to substantially higher intensity or density than county zoning allows, the county may place a five-year moratorium on development; that was not proposed here.
551 Joseph Bates Memorial Highway was presented as a property needed to provide access for the Knutsen land-development project and is sited near the Rising Sun Volunteer Fire Company and Pierce Road. Staff said the town did not request any waiver from the county because proposed town zoning matched the county's restrictions.
523 Mount Street is adjacent to the 35 North Hills parcel and includes area across Mount Street that is already inside town limits; staff said that existing right-of-way and a 50-foot easement across Route 1 make the annexations contiguous. The state and county review letters for all three properties expressed no substantive objections. Staff noted the Maryland Department of Planning initially missed the town's “rural business” label in one review and subsequently corrected that point.
No members of the public spoke on the three items during the public hearing segments. After each presentation the council moved, seconded and voted; minutes show each annexation resolution passed by recorded voice vote with unanimous support from the elected body present.
The votes begin the town's statutory annexation timelines; staff said the process includes preparing a formal annexation plan and providing state/county agencies 30 days to comment before the town completes its local review and any related agreements.
The approvals formally begin the town’s process of bringing the parcels into town limits, setting the zoning designation, and allowing for future review of development plans and utility connections.
