City planners recommend annexation of six properties

Sidney’s boundaries will likely soon expand.

At Monday’s meeting, the city’s planning commission considered seven properties for annexation and recommended to the city council that six of these properties be incorporated into the city. There is still a lengthy process ahead before these properties actually become part of Sidney.

Although some of these property owners requested annexation, many of them were considered because they already receive city utilities and other services.

Gary Dible spoke on behalf 21st Century Equipment, the only property for which the commission did not recommend annexation.

The company has been at its current location, on the east side of Link 17J north of Wal-Mart, for six years. The site does receive city utilities, Dible acknowledged, although it is still hooked to rural electric services.

At the time of the facility’s construction 21st Century paid for the extension of water and sewer lines, he pointed out. The company also granted the city a right of way for a water line on the edge of its property to run to the industrial park.

“So it was a good deal for everybody, I think,” Dible said.

Dible cited many reasons the company was not in favor of annexation. His concerns included a significant property tax increase. Dible praised the county’s excellent upkeep on the county road south of his business and expressed worry that the city wouldn’t be able to provide the same amount of attention to the unpaved road.

“The county, I can’t compliment them enough,” Dible said. “They do a wonderful job of taking care of that road. If it snows they’re out there, they’ve got it bladed off.”

If the property was annexed, the city would take over maintenance of that road. Dible wondered how well the city would maintain it with no other gravel roads in the area.

Although agricultural parts will be exempt from sales tax beginning July 1, Dible and his company are still concerned about sales tax increases if incorporated into the city.

“Our personal opinion, we will be shocked to last long term,” Dible said. “It’s pretty easy to claw that tax back into existence. It’s big bucks. There’s a lot of dollars of agricultural parts sold in this state.”

Incorporation into the city, with the addition of city sales tax would put the company at a competitive disadvantage, Dible claimed.

City manager Gary Person pointed out that the city had the option of entering into a cooperative agreement with the county or the state of Nebraska to care for the gravel road south of the facility if the city chose to annex the property. The city also has the option of paving the road to the 21st Century property line.

“To some up, we’ve always felt a good partnership with the city,” Dible said. “The city’s been a pretty darn good customer of our business, we get that too. It just doesn’t feel like now’s the time.”

The company is aware with its proximity to the city and the city’ apparent future expansion that it will most likely become part of the city in the future. The planning commission unanimously agreed that now was not the proper time for annexation for this property.

Other properties for which the commission did recommend annexation included the 14 acre location for the new Love’s Travel Stop. This facility will be constructed south of the Holiday Inn. The Love’s company asked to be incorporated into the city limits in order to be hooked to city utilities and to create street improvement districts.

Also recommended for incorporation into the city was the 36 acres of land that holds Verde Lane Dam. This land can’t be developed in the future, but is entirely owned by the city.

Another property included are the 10 acres on which White Bluffs Veterinary Clinic, which is adjacent to the property containing the dam, is located.

Dave Weiderspon, veterinarian was present to speak on behalf of the clinic. Weiderspon acknowledged that he receives city utilities.

“It is exciting to see the development that’s coming on in the south east part of Sidney there,” Weiderspon said. “So I really don’t have any reservations there, just want to be treated the same as everybody else.”

A piece of property that lies directly west of the Love’s property was also recommended for annexation. This 116 acre piece of property is owned by the Jensen estate. Bruce Preston, nephew of the Jensens spoke on behalf of the estate. The estate proposed annexation into the city in preparation for future development on its property.

“This group has been very proactive in working with the city over the course of the last year,” Person said. “And they’re interested in what’s going on in Sidney and want to be as prepared as they can be for future development that’s going to occur.”

The estate plans to find buyers who wish to develop on the property, instead of developing the land itself.

The 20 acres of land containing Anderson Forest Products, which is located directly south of the city landfill, was also recommended for incorporation into the city. This land was previously re-zoned for the manufacturing plant and receives all city services. The company contacted the city and had no qualms with annexation.

Also on the recommended list is a 143 acre portion of the city landfill that does not include the shooting park. If the landfill is annexed, the city would take on responsibility for a section of county road that runs by the landfill.

Before the annexation process is complete, the city must produce a plan for providing city services to these locations, the city council must hold a public hearing in the matter and then read the ordinance for annexation on three separate occasions. This means none of these parcels will be annexed until June 24 at the earliest.