MOUNT VERNON — The Board of Commissioners had a public hearing on Aug. 14 on a request to annex 103 Richard St. into the Village of Danville.
Two parcels are involved: a 0.4184-acre parcel with a house and building, and 0.114 acres of vacant land.
Attorney Jeremy Abrams of Kidwell & Cunningham represented owners Kevin and Kathy Byers.
According to Abrams, the primary reason the Byerses want to annex the tracts is to obtain village water and sewer.
“It is less expensive. It requires less owner maintenance than a well system and a septic system, especially when it’s only on a half an acre,” he said.
“They won’t have to deal with a leach field on anyone else’s property. They won’t have to deal with any surcharges charged by the village by not being a village member.”
Danville agrees to provide services
Danville Mayor Joe Mazzari, attorney Noel Alden, and zoning inspector Todd Bender attended the hearing. The village agreed to provide water, sewer, and police coverage.
Alden said the annexation solves a law enforcement issue for the parcel.
“Historically, police service has been complicated for this property because if there was a call there, Danville couldn’t respond to it. They had to wait for a sheriff’s deputy show up even though they were right there,” he said.
The surrounding properties are within the village.
Alden said Union Township has not done any work on South Richard Street for as long as anyone can remember because it does not have any other properties there.
“They don’t do snow or ice removal, they don’t do repairs; that’s always been the village of Danville,” he said.
“We’re just trying to make sure the person that’s doing the services gets the tax money to do those services. That’s really what all this is about.”
Commissioner Bill Pursel said the Knox County Regional Planning Commission recommended the annexation with the proviso that if the Byerses sell or transfer the 0.114-acre parcel, it must be to the owner of a contiguous property.
“The only potential detriment to anyone involved here is that the township of Union will receive slightly less on property taxes because the property taxes paid by the Byerses will go to the village of Danville instead of Union Township,” Abrams said.
Abrams said that amounts to a couple of hundred dollars a year.
No Union Township trustee attended the hearing. However, the trustees did not sign an unopposed petition.
The commissioners have 30 days to approve or deny the annexation request.
