The highly contentious debate over Aberdeen?s annexation has wound down slightly from the fever pitch it reached last week, when accusations of assault and harassment were flying between the developer and his opponents.
Wetlands Golf Course owner Sam Smedley says he will not file assault charges against Paul Findeisen, a resident of the land to be annexed who allegedly reached out to try and stop Smedley from leaving an Aberdeen City Council meeting.
Findeisen was trying to get the developer?s attention to ask about gunfire he?d been hearing near his property, said Bobbie Randles, his neighbor and fellow annexation opponent, but Findeisen?s attempt resulted in a scolding by Mayor Fred Simmons and threats of charges from Smedley.
“All I did was kindly tap-touched him to get his attention so we could go outside and talk,” Findeisen said.
Findeisen had been considering legal action of his own against Smedley: a peace order resulting from gunfire he and several of his neighbors were allegedly hearing from Smedley?s property nearby.
On Sunday, Nov. 17, residents Jerry and Rosemary Queen said they called the Harford County Sheriff’s office to report seeing Smedley firing a handgun near their property. By the time two deputies arrived, Smedley had left the area, said Jerry Queen, and he was told that Smedley?s actions were only illegalif he was shooting a gun within 150 feet of their house.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Bob Thomas confirmed that police responded but could take no action.
Findeisen said he never called the police, mostly because he did not want to risk escalating the tensions.
“Every time he?s harassed us, it?s because he considered us to be harassing him,” Findeisen said. “I?ve always tried to mediate as a neighbor, and not as an adversary.”
Smedley?s offer divided the residents of the 523-acre area to be annexed, Findeisen said, between people who were eager to sell and people who feared the development would overburden the area with traffic and demand for city services.
Since the gunfire incidents seem to have stopped, Findeisen said he will not request the peace order. Beyond acknowledging that the assault charges would not be filed, Smedley referred all questions to his spokesman.
Smedley?s spokesman Rommel Crabtree said he doesn?t believe the developer owns a handgun, and that he did not know about any other guns he owned.
“All that stuff is not even relevant to what?s going on” with the vote, Crabtree said. “Anything else is extraneous.”
In next Tuesday?s referendum election, the annexation will have to be approved by two separate votes: one by all of Aberdeen?s registered voters, and another by the residents of the land to be annexed. If either vote fails, the annexation is off, but Smedley has already filed a second annexation request with the city.
