Norwich trustees approve annexation agreement with Columbus to conform Hayden’s Reserve boundaries

Trustees voted to approve an annexation agreement with the City of Columbus to conform the boundaries of the Hayden’s Reserve development to exclude Norwich Township, a move the board said will reduce the affected property owners’ real estate tax assessments by approximately 13% while leaving fire and emergency medical service levels unchanged.

Legal counsel reported that Columbus had not conformed boundaries following a 2003 expedited annexation; the proposed agreement leverages ORC 709.192 to require Columbus to conform the boundaries under ORC 503.07 within four months of the agreement’s effective date. The resolution and separate annexation agreement spelled out that the final balanced action would not require Columbus to make compensation payments under ORC 709.19 and that the action applies only to the described Annexed Property.

Trustees framed the decision as corrective for residents who had been taxed for township services they no longer received and said the board would accept the revenue impact (trustees recorded an approximate $50,000 loss to the township). The board authorized legal counsel to draft the agreement and later approved the annexation agreement and its accompanying resolution during the May 16 meeting.

The action: trustees approved the annexation agreement and instructed staff to finalize legal steps for boundary conformance and to record the legal instruments. The board noted that the agreement is limited to the property described in the attachment to the agreement and that it will inure only to the parties and not to nonparties.