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GREENSBORO — Three Mc­Leansville subdivisions near Mount Hope Church Road will join Greensboro today, a Guilford County Superior Court judge ruled Monday.

Judge Catherine C. Eagles advised attorneys of her ruling by phone, attorneys from both sides confirmed. The order must still be drawn up.

But residents aren’t giving up.

They’re looking at options to appeal and are awaiting court action on a motion regarding the validity of the city’s annexation ordinance.

For now, the annexation continues as planned for 287 homes, said Becky Jo Peterson-Buie, the city’s chief deputy attorney. She had argued that the residents were bound by the voluntary annexation accepted by developers between 1997 and 2000.

“It always feels good when the judge rules in your favor,” she said.

James Eldridge, a Wilmington attorney representing the residents, had argued that North Carolina does not allow for the type of restrictive covenant the city described in its case.

“I’m having a hard time understanding the ruling,” he said.

The residents were unaware of the annexation plans when they bought their homes and they don’t believe the city can provide all the services it has offered, said resident Thomas Mellinger.

“I hope tomorrow they can give us a library, the rec hall and bus stops and all the city amenities,” he said late Monday afternoon.

He was one of nearly two dozen homeowners who appeared in court wearing red shirts to show their opposition to the annexation.

Mellinger said the city’s case was weak and the judge didn’t listen to Eldridge’s arguments.

“We never entered into these contracts; the developers did,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right that you have something that’s 10 years old and you’re never told about it.”

Residents won a temporary restraining order against the city and had sought a preliminary injunction Monday to halt the annexation.

Developers of the Hartwood Village, Whitehurst Village and Laurel Park subdivisions — located just east of the city off Interstate 85 — asked the city to annex the land in exchange for water and sewer services.

Residents receive those services but at a higher cost than Greensboro residents, Eld­ridge said.

He argued the city wasn’t following proper procedure because the land was not contiguous to Greensboro’s limits or within the three-mile limit when officials signed the annexation request.

“We’re not saying they can’t take it,” Eldridge said. “We’re saying they have to do it the right way.”

The City Council delayed the annexation once, granting a one-year reprieve in April 2008. The newly annexed area will add about 152 acres to the city.

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jennifer.fernandez@news-record.com