Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Annexation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission recommends council begin 80/20 annexation including Ames Golf & Country Club and Irons Subdivision
Summary
The planning commission found the proposed 80/20 annexation consistent with the Ames 2040 comprehensive plan and recommended the city council move forward; several residents opposed the annexation citing potential sewer costs and lack of perceived benefit.
The Ames City Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council proceed with an 80/20 annexation that would bring the Ames Golf and Country Club and nearby Irons Subdivision properties into the city and concurrently rezone the residential properties to FSRL.
City planning staff described the annexation background: the Country Club and surrounding properties were originally approved as a rural subdivision under a documented covenant. Staff said many of those covenants require property owners to submit a voluntary annexation application at the direction of council, and the city proposes to use the 80/20 method allowed by state law to include up to 20% nonconsenting territory where needed to avoid islands and create more uniform boundaries. “So under state law, the city has the ability to include up to 20% of the total territory in the annexation as nonconsenting property owners,” staff told the commission.
Resident Daryl Viggie, who lives on Irons Way, urged the commission to recommend against annexing Irons Way and Irons Court. Viggie said residents were led to believe the application was voluntary but that they were pressured to return applications, and said the principal concern is the sanitary sewer connection: based on figures circulated locally he estimated the cost could be “north of $30,000 per household” to abandon working septic systems and connect to city sewer. He said many residents are satisfied with current services and see little benefit to being annexed at this time.
Commission discussion focused on the legal effect of recorded covenants, differences between voluntary and involuntary annexation processes, and whether pursuing court action to compel annexation would be required if the city sought 100% voluntary annexation. Staff said using 80/20 avoids court and is a commonly used approach to prevent islands and achieve logical city boundaries; staff also noted some properties (for example, the church across the street) have not agreed to annex and cannot be compelled under the covenant approach.
A commissioner moved and another seconded a recommendation that council find the annexation consistent with the Ames 2040 comp plan and approve the 80/20 annexation and concurrent rezoning; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff said the city council will hold a public hearing on the annexation on July 28.
