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Ames City Council splits North Ames annexation: Borgmeyer parcels move ahead; Irons and golf club deferred
Summary
The Ames City Council voted to split a proposed North Ames voluntary annexation, advancing an 80/20 annexation of Borgmeyer-related land while pausing action on the Irons subdivision and Ames Golf & Country Club parcels and directing legal follow-up over disputed covenants.
The Ames City Council voted to separate a proposed voluntary annexation in North Ames, moving the Borgmeyer-related parcels forward while pausing action on the Irons subdivision and Ames Golf & Country Club parcels pending further review.
The city staff reported that developers of the Borgmeyer property had submitted a voluntary annexation application that originally was intended to be part of a larger, 400-acre package the council had previously authorized staff to pursue. Staff said it did not have signatures from enough property owners in the northern group to meet the voluntary-consent threshold for an 80/20 consenting annexation and that some owners said they were unaware they had earlier covenants that could require future annexation.
Why it matters: The annexation debate pits homeowners and a neighborhood association at Irons Way and Irons Court against the city's long-range growth plan. Opponents say the annexation would force costly sewer connections and higher property taxes without adding needed municipal services; supporters argue the city agreed to annexation covenants a decade earlier to permit nearby development.
Public input at the meeting was strongly opposed to proceeding with annexation for Irons properties. Daryl Vaguey, an Irons resident, said a petition representing 16 households opposed the Irons annexation: "I am here to speak against the annexation," he told council. Residents warned of projected 20'25% property-tax increases and potential $20,000'$30,000 per-household costs to connect to city sanitary sewer when a main is extended.
Developer Chris Gardner (Bella Homes) and other speakers said the annexation obligations were part of recorded documents and covenants; Gardner told the council: "I did talk to homeowners about this, and it is in the legal documents."
Council action and legal review: Council adopted Alternative 2A, which splits the annexation: the Borgmeyer-area parcels shown in council materials (the lands along GW Carver and toward Hyde) will proceed on an expedited 80/20 consenting annexation path; the Irons subdivision and Ames Golf & Country Club parcels will be handled on a parallel but separate path pending further signatures or legal action. The council also voted to ask the city attorney to prepare a formal memo responding to an attorney's letter from the golf and country club asserting the covenants were invalid; the city attorney and the fire chief were asked to appear for the follow-up discussion two weeks later.
What happens next: Staff will proceed with the Borgmeyer 80/20 annexation process and return to council with updates on the Irons and golf-club parcels after the city attorney's memorandum. If property owners refuse to sign, staff said enforcement would require a court action to compel compliance under recorded covenants.
Votes at a glance: Motion to split Borgmeyer-related territory and initiate 80/20 annexation of the Borgmeyer parcels along GW and Hyde ' Passed (roll call: aye). Motion to direct city attorney to respond to Ames Golf & Country Club attorney and schedule follow-up in two weeks ' Passed (roll call: aye).
