Residents urge council to reject proposed Warfield annex and multi‑sport complex, citing traffic and infrastructure concerns
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Summary
Nottingham-area residents told the Mount Airy council the proposed annexation for a multi‑sport complex would overload existing roads, provide little local economic benefit, strain water service and lower nearby home values; they urged commissioners to visit comparable facilities and scrutinize traffic studies.
Multiple residents in public comment on Jan. 5 urged the council to oppose the proposed Warfield property annex for a multi‑sport complex, saying the site is not suitable for the scale of development proposed.
Duane Cordray (2516 Kings Forest Trail) told council members he has more than 50 years of involvement in baseball as a player, coach and administrator and said existing traffic studies are incomplete because they focus on one intersection and do not capture westbound ingress or nearby weekend bicycle traffic. "This property is not suitable for what they wanna use it for," Cordray said, and he asked councilmembers to visit comparable complexes such as Diamond Nation (Raritan Township, N.J.) and Patriots Park (Fairfax) before making a recommendation.
Michael Rash (2508 Kings Forest Trail, Nottingham Community) said Nottingham is one of the town’s largest communities and that ball fields would disrupt school schedules, add traffic to the Wattersville Road and Route 27 intersection, and that local water pressure may not support multiple fields. "There will be no economic benefit to the town," Rash asserted, saying visitors would likely use hotels and services in Frederick instead of Mount Airy.
The speakers noted the planning commission will review annexation and related recommendations in the coming months; council members did not take a vote on the annexation at the Jan. 5 meeting. Officials retained that matter for the planning/commission process and encouraged residents to participate in upcoming hearings.
The planning commission’s next scheduled meetings and public‑hearing opportunities were referenced; residents were advised to consult the planning commission agenda and attend to register formal comments.