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City discusses annexation process for several properties

As Sidney’s economy and workforce grow, so will its boundaries.

Sidney’s planning commission voted to begin the process of adding four pieces of property to the city’s boundaries at Monday’s meeting.

One of the parcels planned for annexation is the location of the new Love’s Travel Stop south of the Holiday Inn by Interstate 80.

“Obviously with what Love’s is intending to do now, it’s imperative for them to have this process go as quickly as we can,” said city manager Gary Person.

The city can only create street improvement districts inside its boundaries.

The commission also decided to begin the annexation process for a parcel located directly west of the Love’s development, owned by the Jensen Estate. The owners of the estate have a conceptual plan for this property, which includes cutting the property in half and annexing only the northern half of it into the city. At this point the trust plans for both commercial and residential lots in the development.

“They would like to be included in the discussion at this point,” Person said.

The annexation process is lengthy and complicated. It involves multiple notices to the property owners of the land to be annexed and public hearings by both the planning commission and the city council. This gives any property owners who have concerns about annexation a chance to voice any concerns or objections they might have to being taken inside the city limits.

Property owners who have land annexed into the city are, of course, then responsible for paying city taxes.

Each parcel for which the city begins the annexation process must be deemed worthy of being added to the city on its own merit. Only land directly adjacent to the city’s current borders can be considered. At previous meetings, the commission discussed taking properties into the city limits that were previously developed and received city streets and utilities, but were never annexed.

Commissioner Dave McCarville stressed that the area where Love’s will be built (identified as number 9) and the adjacent parcel that the Jensen Estate (identified as number 8) plans to develop should undergo the annexation process as soon as possible.

Commission member Deeana Volkmer added that a parcel of land (identified as number two), just west of 11th Ave., which contains White Bluffs Veterinary Hospital and is surrounded on three sides by the city, should be added as well as city owned property adjacent to number two which contains Verde Lane Dam (identified as number one).

McCarville argued that adding parcels one and two in with eight and nine might slow down the whole annexation process because there could be issues with one and two.

Person countered that the city owns number one, which is the Verde Lane Dam, so this would not be an issue. If there are issues with the annexation of number two into the city, there are other options.

“It doesn’t mean that it’s all or nothing when you start in processes,” Person said.

The planning commission and the city council always have the option to decide to discontinue the annexation process at any point, if it so chooses, he added.

The city could continue the annexation process for some of the parcels and leave another out, if the city or property owner decide it’s not the right time to add land to the city boundaries.

Person stressed that it was important to start the process of adding the two properties south of the interstate to the city’s boundaries, because the process takes such a long time.

“That’s why I’m saying that we don’t want to throw anything else into that puddle now with eight and nine,” McCarville said.

Commission member John Phillips and Person argued that adding more properties for annexation in with properties eight and nine will not slow down the process for those properties.

“The only thing with two is you know, it’s got city services and stuff and it’s been benefitted by a lot of stuff for a long time and I think it should be part of the city,” Phillips said.

McCarville agreed that this area should be part of the city but that he didn’t think it necessarily needed to happen immediately.

“I guess the thing is, we’re starting the process with these others, so it’s not gonna hurt anything,” Phillips said.

It will be easier to do them all together, he added.

McCarville moved that the commission move forward with the annexation process on areas one, two, the north half of eight and all of nine.

All planning commission members voted in favor of the motion.

Person added that he would ask the city council at next week’s meeting for input on additional properties for possible annexation. The first step in the official annexation process will come before the planning commission at next month’s meeting.

 

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