MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon City Council gave a first reading Monday night to a petition to annex 0.562 acres on Martinsburg Road into the city.
Attorney Zachary DeMarco of Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston petitioned the Knox County commissioners on June 21 on behalf of Philip and Renee Greene, who own the house at 8712 Martinsburg Road. The Greenes are requesting an Expedited Type 2 Petition.
To be annexed, the parcel must be contiguous to property already annexed into the city. In this case, the parcel can be annexed because the property across the road is in the city.
The contiguous requirement is satisfied because the property across the road goes to the center line of Martinsburg Road. The Greenes’ property also goes to the center line.
The city has agreed to provide fire and police protection, emergency medical services, and stormwater utility services.
“We are not going to provide water and wastewater,” Law Director Rob Broeren said.
Under the stormwater provision, the property owner will pay the city’s standard fee for stormwater management.
Councilman Mike Hillier said that the Greenes are trying to sell the 0.562-acre parcel as well as two adjacent 52.82-acre parcels. If the 0.562 acres gets annexed to the city, the entire acreage could potentially be annexed and sold as property within city limits.
Broeren said that in talking with the Greenes’ lawyer, they thought the city would provide water and sewer.
“The lack of water and sewer may change their thoughts about development in the back,” he said. “The only way they can get city water and sewer is if they pay for it.”
Also related to planning and zoning, council members discussed legislation that gives the Historic Review Commission the authority to designate a historic structure outside of the city’s historic districts.
This ordinance stems from developer Joel Mazza’s desire to have the front portion of the former Mulberry Street school designated a historic structure so that he can apply for the historic abatement through the city-wide CRA (Community Reinvestment Area). The school is outside the historic districts’ boundaries.
Jeff Gottke, president of the Area Development Foundation, worked with the city to create the CRA. He said the intent of the multi-family abatement was to entice developers; the intent of the historic abatement was to help property owners counter the high cost of renovating historic properties.
The two categories, he said, were never intended to cross over.
Council members agreed that the CRA should be amended to state that multi-family projects already receive the maximum amount of abatement and are not eligible for historic status. Broeren will prepare an amendment to present at council’s next meeting.
In its legislative session, council members gave a second reading to the ordinance giving the review commission authority to designate historic structures outside of historical districts.
In a third Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, council members postponed indefinitely an ordinance revising the process to apply for a residential conditional use for properties in an Office-Institutional zoning district.
Up for a third reading, the ordinance waives the conditional use application fee. The legislation stems from the discovery that some residences are paying the higher O-I stormwater fees and that residential is a conditional use in O-I districts.
Lacie Blankenhorn, development services manager for the city, said the conditional use could also apply to residences in the General Business and Neighborhood Commercial districts. She feels the ordinance was not properly thought out and recommended either postponing it until it was thought out or the city completed its zoning rewrite.
Council concurred. Safety-service Director Richard Dzik he hoped to hear this week whether the city will receive a grant to cover the cost of rewriting the code. He said the rewrite will definitely be completed by second quarter 2023.
