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Council hears annexation 101: how annexations work, timelines and local implications
Summary
Senior planner David King gave a high-level overview of annexations — definitions, types (petition, enclave, election), contiguity rules (one-sixth perimeter), the city's history of roughly 50 annexations and a typical 2–6 month timeline; council members asked about state statute scope and future land-use mapping.
David King, a senior planner in Centennial’s economic development department, presented an "Annexation 101" briefing explaining how annexations add property into city boundaries, the types of annexations, the statutory contiguity requirement and how the city evaluates annexation requests.
King said annexations are the means by which municipalities grow their boundaries and that Centennial has processed nearly 50 annexations across 18 of the city's 25 years. He described three common types: petition annexations initiated by property owners seeking inclusion, enclave annexations initiated by the city in limited situations (where properties are surrounded by the city), and the less-common election annexations, which the city has not used.
King summarized key procedural points required by the Annexation Act of 1965: establish eligibility, set initial zoning (within 60 days after annexation), provide statutorily required notices (including five consecutive weeks for some publications) and meet contiguity rules (one-sixth of the property perimeter must border the city; right-of-way is excluded from that calculation). He said annexation timelines typically range from roughly two to six months depending on noticing and processing steps.
King outlined the public process: Planning & Zoning Commission provides a recommendation on initial zoning; City Council conducts public hearings on eligibility, approval and initial zoning; the city may also negotiate an annexation and development agreement with the property owner. He noted annexation decisions are legislative and at the council’s discretion though the Annexation Act defines the procedural framework.
Council members asked whether the Annexation Act is Colorado statute (it is), whether the city can annex lands from any unincorporated county (yes), and how the city’s future land use map and the Centennial NEXT comprehensive plan inform initial zoning. King said the future land use map guides initial zoning; the city must set zoning within statutory timeframes.
King said the city’s most recent annexation occurred in 2022 (Dove Valley Regional Park and other parcels) and that the city maintains a public historic-boundary map on its website documenting prior annexations.
Sources: David King, Senior Planner (presentation).
