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Following the new state-mandated procedure for municipal annexations, the Warsaw City Council was informed Monday of the cost associated with two requested additions to the city.
City planner Jeff Noffsinger told the council the estimated non-capital costs associated with the annexation of 427 acres near the intersection of U.S. 30 and CR 150W will total $6,600 per year. The services included in the estimate are police protection, at $4,600, and street maintenance, at $2,000.
"Property taxes will be the main funding mechanism to provide these services, and will mean less than one cent per $100 of assessed value increase in the city's tax rate," Noffsinger said.
The capital costs associated with the annexation are estimated at $750,000 to extend sanitary sewer and water into the area, and improvements to CR 150W.
The capital improvements will be funded through a $2 million bond issued to Sofamor-Danek, a $250,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Commerce and the tax revenue from the $20 million investment made by Sofamor Danek in real and personal property.
The second annexation reported to the council was that of the 40-acre Haines farm on Husky Trail, north of Harrison School.
The cost of police coverage is estimated at $2,000 per year, and street maintenance is projected at $1,000.
Because sewer and water utilities are within the proximity of the property, the developer will be responsible for the cost of construction of that infrastructure within the development. The $11,000 cost to extend the sewer line to the property will be taken from either the city's sewer operating fund or the cumulative capital development fund.
"Under the new law, the council must wait 60 days to give the public a chance to remonstrate against these annexations," Noffsinger said.
However, he added, because both petitions were initiated by the property owners, no opposition is expected.
In other business, the council denied a request by Jim Eisenbraun to rezone a .83 acre parcel at 560 and 600 North Bay Drive.
"When we bought this property in 1979, it was zoned commercial," Eisenbraun said. "We found out in 1985 the area had been rezoned to residential without our knowledge when we tried to expand our business."
Eisenbraun owns and operates the firm, which publishes educational materials.
According to Noffsinger, the parcel was apparently mistakenly rezoned residential when the comprehensive master plan was revised in 1981, and the error wasn't caught until years later.
"We think returning this property back to its original commercial zoning would be correcting an unintentional injustice," Eisenbraun said.
Despite Eisenbraun's pleas for relief, Councilwoman Tammy Rockey moved to deny the rezoning. Her motion was approved on a 3-2 vote, with Councilmen Dewey Lawshe and Paul Siebenmorgan voting to grant the rezoning.
