FORTVILLE — Fortville’s town council observed the first reading of three annexation ordinances Tuesday night. The policies, if passed, would result in the town’s appropriation of nearly 200 combined acres of land.
All members of the council voted in favor of further review of the respective ordinances.
Ordinance #2018-9a is a proposed annexation of approximately 93 acres bounded by West Ohio Street to the south, the Hamilton County line to the west, North Merrill Street to the north, and adjacent to existing town limits to the east (Northwest Fortville PUD property and Methodist Church property), according to the meeting’s minutes.
Ordinance #2018-9b is a proposed voluntary annexation of about 53 acres, limited by County Road 850N to the south, exiting town limits to the west, 600 feet south of County Road 900N to the north and Fortville Pike to the East, according to the minutes. This extends into the northern Mt. Vernon property.
The council also reviewed Ordinance #2018-9c, another proposed annexation of around 21.5 acres at 1200 E. Broadway Street, a location currently owned by Property Pros, according to the minutes.
Each ordinance references voluntary annexation measures, in which property owners contact elected officials and ask them to redraw the town’s boundaries to include their land. So all land acquisition would meet contiguity under state law, said town attorney Alex Intermill. The petitioners can withdraw at any time, he added.
Intermill clarified to the council that agreeing to begin the annexation process does not amount to legal approval, only to hear more details about the adoption, he said.
In 2020, a federal 10-year census will be held. The annexation proposals are being addressed now because per state law, annexations cannot become effective the year before a census, said town planning administrator Alex Zakilkowski. If Fortville wishes to follow through with passing the legislation in question, they will need to do so by December 2018, he said.
If passed, Zakilkowski has shared with the council potential plans for the land they would acquire in this deal in the past few months at Designer Review Board meetings, said council president Michael Frischkorn. They are exploring the possibility of utilizing some of the space to create new residential areas, but nothing is set in stone yet, he said.
Tuesday marked the first of three readings before the council moves to make an official vote, town officials said. A public hearing will be held in the first town council meeting in October for further discussion.
