Gaithersburg Unanimously Approves Sears Property Annexation

The Gaithersburg City Council unanimously approved a resolution to annex the 27.89-acre Sears property along Shady Grove Road in spite of harsh criticism from Rockville city officials.

Earlier Monday, that Gaithersburg officials were "preparing to wreak serious, unnecessary and perhaps permanent damage upon the relationship between their city and the City of Rockville."

and council member Jud Ashman said, "I think some of [Rockville's] interpretations of our process and the narrative history aren't correct."

Much of the debate over the annexation has centered on a 1992 memorandum of understanding between the two cities which, according to Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney A. Katz, expired on July 23, 2012.

Related Coverage of Sears Property Annexation:

 (Monday, Aug. 6, 2012) [Blog post by Rockville city council member Tom Moore]

 (Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012)

 (July 31, 2012)

  (July 26, 2012)

 (June 7, 2012)

 (March 5, 2012)