The Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission unanimously approved Tuesday a proposal to add a residential sector of the town of Upper Marlboro to a national list of historic areas.

But residents and officials complained the proposed district should include parts of historic downtown Upper Marlboro.

The proposed district heads to the desk of Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D), after which it will be forwarded to the National Park Service for approval for the National Register of Historic Places.

Officials with the historic preservation section for Prince George’s County at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission said the designation does not impose any restrictions on private property owners. It does provide them with protections from “adverse impacts” by state or federally funded projects, such as forcing the government to consider relocating a project or look into other efforts to mitigate the effect on historic areas.

The 83.5-acre district is bounded by Old Marlboro Pike and Old Mill Road to the north, ending north of Rectory Lane, including the east side of School Lane, Old Crain Highway heading west, Valley Lane on the south, and bounded on the east by Service Lane and Elm Street.

Historic Preservation Commission officials acknowledged residents’ concerns, and suggested the town could have the district expanded to include parts of downtown in the future.

George Leonnig, a former Upper Marlboro town commissioner, pointed to several historic landmarks in the downtown area, such as the tomb of Dr. William Beanes, a doctor who treated American soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

“The story in the downtown area is more important,” he said. “Just go down Main Street and you’ll find building after building built in the 1920s because there was a fire back then.”

Stephen F. Sonnett, president of the board of town commissioners of Upper Marlboro, said the downtown area lacked the continuity needed for a national designation.

The study was performed in late 2009 by A.D. Marble & Co. Inc., a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm. Town officials worked on revisions, and in the spring sent residents solicitations for comment before formally adopting the nomination documents June 7.

Historic Preservation Commissioner Henry C. Turner Jr. said it was a “travesty” that parts of the downtown area weren’t considered in the proposal.

“Too much is missing from the history of Upper Marlboro,” Turner said. “... There are significant historic properties that are directly adjacent to the [proposed district] that are not being considered.”

Commission Chairman David A. Turner acknowledged the process for evaluating historic places in the county is not perfect.

“We’ve got to move in this county toward a better dovetail of community and the commission, and from the tech side, staff should take particular care and every precaution to ensure nothing is overlooked,” he said.

ewagner@gazette.net