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Greenbelt council votes to annex 1,196 acres of BARK/NASA land
Summary
Greenbelt City Council approved a charter amendment resolution to annex roughly 1,196 acres of federal land (referred to in the packet as BARK/NASA Area 3), marking the first major boundary expansion in decades; staff said state review and a 45‑day referendum/appeal window follow the vote.
Greenbelt City Council on a unanimous roll call adopted a charter amendment resolution to enlarge the city’s corporate limits by annexing approximately 1,196 acres commonly described as BARK/NASA number three. The vote concluded the second reading of the annexation proposal after staff displayed maps and described boundary lines drawn largely along roadways.
The measure, introduced for second reading and adoption, would bring federally‑owned lands contiguous to Greenbelt—bounded in staff materials by Route 193 to the south, Soil Conservation Road to the east, Baltimore‑Washington Parkway to the west and Beaver Dam to the north—within the city’s jurisdiction. Miss Ruby of planning staff told council the state planning office provided written comments focused on water/sewer categories and priority funding areas and raised no substantive objections.
The annexation move is an administrative and jurisdictional action, not a land purchase; council members emphasized that annexation changes municipal boundaries and does not transfer property title to the city. Staff described next statutory steps: a 45‑day period in which affected parties may seek referendum or other statutory remedies under state law, followed by filings with the state Department of Assessments and Taxation to formalize the boundary change if it stands.
Mayor Jordan and several council members called the action “historic,” noting this is the first major expansion of Greenbelt boundaries in a long time. Council members asked staff to make maps and explanatory materials more accessible to residents and to continue outreach about what annexation does—and does not—mean for services, taxes and land ownership.
The motion carried on a recorded roll call with all members voting yes (Council members Fritz, Nissel, McKenna, Pompy, Pope, Mayor Pro Tim Weaver and Mayor Jordan). The council directed staff to post updates and to follow the statutory notice and filing schedule for the next 45 days.
