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In fact, the only residents who attended were Mayor Winslow Burhans III and three council members - Dennis Kimble, Rita Mueller and David Price.

The property in question — which includes Food Lion, McDonald's, a Shell gas station and two undeveloped sites on Md. Route 144 on the eastern side of town — are owned by the Lands of East Street Plaza Partnership and New Market Food Lion Center.

No one from state or county planning agencies attended the meeting either, though Mayor Burhans called for their comments.

The council closed the record with a 3-0 vote, and expects to vote on the annexation in April. Councilmen Jake Romanell and Shane Rossman did not attend the hearing.

If New Market adds the property to its boundaries, the land use will not change from what is already allowed by Frederick County, said Scott Miller, an attorney representing the land owners.

The property would join the town under its mixed commercial zoning classification, which is similar to the county's general commercial zone in which it lies, according to Burhans.

Miller said the only new approvals the town would need to give are for any businesses built on two undeveloped "pad sites" on the property.

Burhans has said the town wants to annex the land to expand its tax base, but specific numbers were not discussed at Wednesday's public hearing. The town has water taps — hook-ups to the county water and sewer system — which he said could be used on any undeveloped land, an incentive for land owners to agree to annexation.

Burhans read into the record a letter from the Maryland Department of Planning, which did not take issue with the annexation. The letter recommended town officials consult with the Frederick Board of County Commissioners on the annexation.

Burhans said the town had not received any comments from the board regarding the annexation, but commissioners expressed support for it at a meeting in July.

E-mail Christian Brown at chbrown@gazette.net.