MEEKER I The seated members of the Meeker Town Board gave unanimous approval Tuesday to the annexation of the Curtis Creek Industrial Park, which encompasses 35 acres on the east side of Highway 13, opposite the new Pioneers Medical Center.
The annexation also included the rights of way at Curtis Avenue and Curtis Creek Road.
Meeker Town Board member Travis Day excused himself from the discussion and subsequent vote on the issue because he is one of the eight property owners involved in annexation.
The hospital property and the Berry properties on the west side of Highway 13 have been inside the city limits for many years, Meeker Town Administrator Scott Meszaros said Monday.
To pursue annexation, the group of land owners covering 51 percent of the land to be annexed, must request to be annexed.
Meszaros explained on Monday that there are 10 lots within the annexation area and that there are eight landowners who possess the 10 lots.
He said that all eight property owners in the area signed off on the annexation approval of the 10 platted lots to make 100 percent buy-in by the property owners in the area annexed.
Meszaros said Monday that in addition to the town board accepting the annexation bid, if accepted, there would need to be a new town zoning classification, a zoning change from the current moderate industrial to light industrial, to be consistent with the Title 18 zoning of the Meeker Municipal Code.
There were three public hearings at Tuesday night’s meeting.
A board resolution addressed the certainty that the area is eligible for annexation; an ordinance was needed to accept the parcels; and an ordinance was needed to rezone the area to light industrial.
After the board addressed the issues of wood burning and the use of old wells on the site and the board members stated that they would let past practices continue, allowing wood burning and the continued use of the old wells, the town board passed the vote to annex the land with the board members, who were all present for the meeting, minus the excused Day, voting unanimously in favor of the annexation.
Meszaros said an incentive for the town to annex the property is for increased sales taxes and increased property valuation.
“I don’t expect to see a lot of dollars generated by this action,” Meszaros said. “It will mean a minor increase in our city coffers in property taxes, but it also means that the businesses out there will get their water at cheaper in-town rates.
The annexation becomes official 30 days after it has been legally advertised in the Herald Times.
