NEW MARKET, Md. (AP) — New Market town officials are considering an annexation that would double the Frederick County town’s size.

The proposal to expand by nearly 400 acres is opposed by preservation and conservation groups that have sued town officials in the past over growth plans. Annexing the properties would allow them to be used for a wider variety of purposes than allowed by Frederick County because of a New Market zoning change that took effect in October.

The proposed annexation includes a 262-acre tract northwest of town that was voted down by town residents in 2007. Mayor Winslow F. Burhans III told The Frederick News-Post the current annexation proposal is different. That’s because it includes another property that would allow for a northern bypass around town to alleviate traffic congestion.

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