Coweta council approves annexation of 160 acres; emergency declaration on ordinance fails

The Coweta City Council on June 2 approved Ordinance 900 to annex roughly 160 acres described as the Southwest Quarter of Section 33, Township 18 North, Range 15 East, into the city limits, but failed to secure the supermajority needed to declare the ordinance effective immediately. Mayor Naomi Hogue called the public hearing and the council voted 3-2 to adopt the ordinance. Why it matters: The annexation could allow residential development on the parcel; residents near the site raised concerns about traffic, road maintenance and emergency services during the public hearing. At a public hearing that began at 7:01 p.m., residents Everett Crawford, Clayton Calvert and Joshua Hughes told the council they feared increased traffic and said the county already repeatedly has rebuilt nearby roads in the past decade. The property owner, who addressed the council but was not named in the record, said the land has been in his family for many years and that development would be phased in; he added he “would not allow something to come into the area that he himself could not be proud of.” Community Development Director Carolyn Back told the council the annexation application corresponds to a maximum of 780 homes on the 160-acre tract and that no plat or planned-unit development had yet been submitted. Mayor Naomi Hogue told the public the city can apply restrictions when approving plats and PUDs and noted the homes would be phased in, not all built at once; Hogue said, “not all 780 homes will be built at once.” Police Chief Mike Bell told residents the city plans a new police station near the area and said the city expects many new residents will spend locally even if rooftops do not automatically equal new tax revenue: “rooftops do not equal tax money, but we can expect people living under those rooftops to spend their money in Coweta.” Councilmember Jeremy Barnett said the annexation would not change school district boundaries. Councilmember Lauren Givan asked whether 780 homes was certain and what lot sizes would be; Back reiterated the 780 number is a maximum and that a plat or PUD is not yet filed. Motion and outcome: Councilmember Harold Chance moved to adopt Ordinance 900; Mayor Naomi Hogue seconded. The vote was Aye: Harold Chance, Naomi Hogue, Caroline Martin; Nay: Lauren Givan, Jeremy Barnett. The motion to adopt the ordinance passed, but a separate motion to declare an emergency and make the ordinance effective immediately did not achieve the three-fourths vote required for immediate effect. As recorded, because the emergency declaration failed, the ordinance will not become effective for 30 days after passage. Next steps: Because no plat or PUD has been submitted, future council or planning actions will be required to approve specific development plans, lot sizes and any conditions the city imposes when plats are reviewed.