Frustrated over what they consider bad planning by the state for the move of forensic patients from Owings Mills to Springfield's Muncie Building, Sykesville's mayor and Town Council said last week they will explore annexing Springfield Hospital Center.

"When (state health officials) looked to put Rosewood here, nobody looked at a plan. They looked at a building and said, 'Put it over there,' " Mayor Jonathan Herman said at the Tuesday, Oct. 14 council meeting.

"There needs to be a plan, and because the state is unwilling to participate in a serious plan, I think the town should take an initiative," Herman said.

"And the initiative would be to annex the hospital," he added.

The thinking behind the move, Herman said, is for the town to have a say over what could go on the hospital campus. He said the town could have a planning session where town officials and residents would help plan for appropriate uses on Springfield's sprawling property.

Earlier this year Gov. Martin O'Malley ordered Owings Mills' Rosewood Center to close by June 30, 2009. Nine of the center's residents, who have been charged with crimes and are developmentally disabled, are slated to move into Springfield's Muncie Building. (Note: On Tuesday, the state announced the move would be pushed to mid- to late-November. See page 3.)

Health officials said they needed to have a plan quickly in place because of the move, and found Springfield to be the best fit due to what it already has on the campus.

The plan by the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to come to Springfield caught Sykesville's mayor and council by surprise.

State Health Sec. John Colmers has since apologized for communication lapses for the move, but defends selecting Springfield as the location of the Secure Evaluation and Therapeutic Treatment program.

The mayor and some council members, though, consider the move objectionable, and do not want a similar move to happen again.

"It might give us an edge in the future if the hospital ever decides to sell parcels of land to private entities within the town of Sykesville," Herman said. "If they did decide to move something objectionable to the town, we could protest more avidly because it would be within our town borders."

Also, the town already spends money to have the Sykesville Police Department patrol there, so annexing would mean they would have jurisdiction to make an arrest, he said.

Currently, Sykesville police can detain people on campus grounds, but have to wait until either the State Police or Springfield Hospital Police arrive to take the person into custody or return the person to the hospital, said Sykesville Police Chief John Williams Jr.

Herman and Williams said they would also like the state to fund another Sykesville officer because it is usually the first agency to respond to service calls at the campus.

Annexing Springfield was not something the town wanted to do in the past because it could have been perceived that town officials were stepping on the toes of state officials, Herman said, but it appears that state health officials found a building that suited a program's need without looking at the overall picture of how its use and placement affects the campus, the town and the future.

Additionally, the town, as well as the state and county, is investing in the Warfield Complex, a former part of the hospital, to be a regional employment campus and cultural center.

Sykesville Town Manager Matt Candland noted that even with an annexation, the state can supersede town plans and essentially do what it desires, but the state traditionally has a policy of respecting local zoning and master plans.

Councilman Leo Keenan objected to exploring annexation based on Candland's comments.

"We can plan all we want, but I think it's not going to make a difference to the state," he said.

Council members Debby Ellis, Frank Robert, Jeannie Nichols, Scott Sanzone, said annexing should be considered while Council member Eugene Johson Sr. was less committal saying, "It's something to think about."

Town attorney Dennis Hoover said the annexation process could take three to four months and could cost "a couple thousand dollars."

The council also voted 5-0 to state they the town is opposed to the Rosewood transfer. Councilwoman Debby Ellis abstained from the vote because of the wording of the statement.

Herman also said he plans to write a letter on the council's behalf to O'Malley to state the town's feelings about the patient transfer.

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