The towns of Cheverly and Bladensburg are neighbors that sit about a mile apart from each other, but the separation caused by the federally owned Baltimore-Washington Parkway is far from being the biggest divide between the two.
After going ahead with the attempt to annex the land where an old hospital used to operate, the town of Bladensburg is now being sued by Cheverly for $40 million, with the town asking a judge to issue an injunction and put a stop to the annexation process.
“Given that no one is supporting Bladensburg, this is intentional,” said Cheverly Mayor Kayce Munyeneh.
She said whether it’s out of spite or jealousy, Bladensburg is trying to steal or blow up one of Prince George’s County’s biggest projects — turning the old Prince George’s Hospital Center, now known as Hospital Hill, into a bustling residential and retail development.
“We have the actual access to the property. We are literally contiguous to it,” Munyeneh said.
That’s one of the reasons a lawyer for Prince George’s County warned last year that efforts by Bladensburg to annex the land were likely illegal. Likewise, the developers have been working with Cheverly for years with the assumption this piece of land would eventually become part of Cheverly. They have called Bladensburg’s efforts, which have not included the development team’s participation, “highly unusual.”
In response to the lawsuit, Bladensburg Mayor Takisha James told the town “stands firmly behind the fairness and legality of the annexation process.”
“We remain committed to upholding the principles of transparency and equity in all our actions and will not engage in divisive rhetoric or inflammatory exchanges to sway the whims of the court of public opinion,” James said in an emailed statement.
James said she believes the town has acted “reasonably and in a good faith and business-like manner.”
“Our focus continues to be on serving the best interests of all residents, fostering inclusivity, and creating opportunities that benefit the entire community—not just a select few,” James said.
Town leaders there have long maintained they have the legal right to do what they’re doing, even if the county, and Munyeneh, don’t see it that way.
“There’s many ways where this can end, but it doesn’t end very well for Bladensburg,” Munyeneh said. “When you continue to do something that everyone has asked you to stop doing, it’s hard to maintain good relationships.”
In the lawsuit, Cheverly said the “economic harm intentionally caused by this illegal conduct by the Defendant will be in excess of at least Twenty Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00) to the Plaintiffs and such conduct is being conducted with malice and the Plaintiffs will seek Forty Million Dollars ($40,000,000.00) in punitive damages.”
She said that number was derived by estimates about how much revenue the town stands to lose through delays caused by this legal process. If a judge sides with Cheverly, she said Bladensburg could be on the hook for further legal fees as well.
“When I say that there is no one supporting Bladensburg, I do mean no one,” she said.
It’s not clear when a Prince George’s County Circuit Judge will move to rule on the injunction request, which would force Bladensburg to pause efforts to take control of the site.
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