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While opponents of the three recently approved annexations and city leaders are in the last stretch of making their cases for and against a petition for referendum, a Frederick County commissioner has begun to look ahead to the next administration to de-annex the properties.

Frederick County Commissioner John "Lennie" Thompson Jr. (R) proposed last week two resolutions that would start the process of de-annexing two northern properties that were annexed into the city last month.

The new Board of Aldermen would be faced with such a decision if the petition for referendum fails.

Thompson requested that the resolutions be put on the agenda for the county-municipal meeting of Dec. 17 — the first time the new mayor and Board of Aldermen will face the county as new legislators.

All five county commissioners vehemently oppose the two annexations that sit to the north of the city because of traffic and infrastructure concerns.

They are the 285-acre Crumland Farm property and the 151-acre COPT/Thatcher properties, which have garnered the most opposition because they stand to bring hundreds of houses and millions of square feet in commercial space. A third property — the 101-acre Summers Farm, at Butterfly Lane and Mount Philip Road — was also annexed last month.

Thompson has been vocal about the fact that he believes the major roads surrounding the annexed properties would create "death traps" for city residents, particularly those along U.S. Route 15.

Although the city will require highway interchanges before development can take place, Thompson says the city did not specify who would pay for it.

The commissioners can delay development on the properties by disapproving zoning requests. The properties also rely on sewer services from the county. Thompson said he is hopeful that the next administration will take a different course.

"If the incoming Board of Aldermen listens to the people, rather than the developers, lawyers and lobbyists, I believe chances are good that a majority of the new aldermen will de-annex the properties," he said.

Meanwhile, the Oct. 18 deadline is approaching for at least 20 percent of the city‘s electorate to decide if they want a referendum on the annexations.

The most recent development in the city's campaign to counter the movement against the annexations has city leaders looking into if and how residents who have signed the petition can remove their names from it.

Mayor W. Jeff Holtzinger (R) said Tuesday that the city will consult with the election board to see how residents who want to remove their names from the petition can do so.

"We're going to look into it and see if it is possible, and if it is, we will make that information available," Holtzinger said. "But, we're not going to start a ‘Remove your name from petition' drive."

Organizers of the petition say that they are halfway to where they need to be in gathering enough signatures to bring the Sept. 3 aldermen vote to referendum.

They need to gather about 7,200 signatures by Oct. 18.

"We are, at our best approximation so far, about halfway," said Commissioner Kai J. Hagen (D), who is leading the referendum movement. "We're just basically trying to keep everybody motivated, pull out the stops. Our last 10 days have to be our best 10 days.

E-mail Erica L. Green at egreen@gazette.net.

Through Oct. 22, The Gazette will run an election series that will ask candidates about three city issues.

Readers can find more about the election at www.gazette.net/frederickelection2009.