Criteria Noted For Annexation

Annexation decisions should not hinge on "irrelevant" considerations, says Planning Department Director Michael R. Prochaska. He told Planning Commission members yesterday some of these "irrelevant" considerations could be items such as sidewalks and the result of a school election. The City Council has recently questioned annexations and held them up on such questions as sidewalks. A large annexation proposed for the southeast side was removed from consideration until after the June 8 school election to determine if voters approve bonds for a new school in that area. Many of the concerns being raised prior to annexation are ones which can best be resolved after the land is annexed to the city, Prochaska said. "They can be worked out at the site plan and area plan stage." The commission had intended to meet yesterday to discuss a proposed policy statement concerning annexations, but only four members attended the session and no consensus was reached. During the discussion, Procnaska commented that bills pending in the State Legislature and the extension of services into townships without requiring annexation could make the issue obsolete. (The City Council has authorized city officials to negotiate with surrounding townships on a sewer agreement which, in effect, would reverse the city's standing policy of not extending services without promise of annexation.). Prochaska said he views the sidewalk issue as an excuse "not to annex anything." He said the provision of sidewalks is a problem but added that it is not one that should stop annexation. Commission member Mrs Ethyl Lewis said the fear is that once land is annexed to the city no control over development. Charles Reinhart commented that the city of Ann Arbor currently makes more demands on developers than other units of government. "If we start hesitating (on annexations) and sewers become available in the townships, developers will run pell-mell to develop in the township." John R. Kurkjian said he favors a "very aggresive" annexation policy for the city, without requiring area and site plans prior to annexation. He said the scarcity of land in the city limits has driven the cost of available land "sky high" and if large parcels of land are annexed this would reduce this land cost.