Annexation is the name of the game for Somerset officials.
Hmmm!
City okays second reading of intention to annex ordinance
Council is getting closer to getting highways inside city limits
by Heather Tomlinson
The Commonwealth Journal Thu Jan 19, 2012, 10:12 AM EST
Somerset —During the Monday, Jan. 9 meeting of Somerset City Council, a second reading was held of Ordinance 11-19, which is the intent to move
forward with the corridor annexation of several major Pulaski County roadways.
That means the city is one step closer to bringing in major roadways around the city in an effort to expand the city’s current limits — and to more
than double the city’s current population.
Somerset’s population is 11,196, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Officials hope to increase the city’s population to more than 15,000 on its
journey to reaching more than 20,000 people.
Corridor annexation is also called “non-consensual” annexation, because the owner of the territories in question, in this case the Kentucky Department
of Transportation, remains neutral.
Somerset City Attorney Carrie Wiese told the council that the city had received a letter from the department of transportation rather quickly
explaining its neutral stance on the annexation.
“That’s normally the response we get from them,” she said during the meeting.
Still, the passing of Ordinance 11-19 doesn’t mean the annexation is official.
“You all pass this, we have two more steps to go through before we can annex anything,” Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler said.
Government entities must introduce a first reading and vote on a second reading of an ordinance to annex after the first reading of an intent to annex
is introduced and the second reading of an intent to annex is passed.
Councilor Tom Eastham, Ward 12, asked whether any changes had been made to the ordinance between the first reading, which was introduced during the
Dec. 12 meeting, and the second reading.
Girdler and Wiese said no changes had been brought to their attention.
The council has debated the options of annexation before them for several months. Annexation plans by the city were spurred on in 2011 when Burnside
city officials expressed an intent to spread its city limits from South U.S. 27 at the Ky. 914 Bypass all the way around the Slate Branch and Oak Hill
areas, and out West Ky. 80 to Lee’s Ford Marina.
After some discussion between Mayor Girdler and Burnside Mayor Ron Jones, Burnside agreed to step back a bit and allow Somerset to decide its next
annexation move — or to decide whether there would be a next move at all. Since then, Somerset had taken steps to move forward with corridor
annexation — an option that would allow property owners directly connected to the roads in question to voluntarily enter into the city limits.
Some of the territory included in the city’s annexation plans already contains water mains and sewer and gas lines which belong to the City of
Somerset, and provide services for customers throughout the county, even outside the city’s corporate boundaries.
Additionally, the territory to be annexed that doesn’t already hold such utilities is part of the city’s future development and growth strategy, as
including in the city’s approved comprehensive plan, according to the ordinance.
During last Monday’s meeting, Girdler said he and Wiese had met with Burnside city officials about the annexation and that everyone was receptive and
professional.
“As long as the city council moves forward, they understand that and not another inch will be granted at this time,” Girdler said.
The roads included under the annexation plan include:
• U.S. 27, Ky. 2227 (the old U.S. 27), and Ky. 1247, extended up to the point where the three roads intersect, just south of Science Hill;
• The new Cumberland Parkway northern bypass extension, running from Ky. 80 around Fishing Creek to U.S. 27 just north of current Somerset boundaries;
• The stretch of Ky. 80/Cumberland Parkway from U.S. 27 up to the connection with the southwestern bypass;
• Other northern roads, including Ky. 3261, Ky. 3263, Ky. 3260, and Ky. 3091;
• Northeast on Ky. 39 about 2.45 miles, to the intersection with Lakeside Court;
• Both west and east on Ky. 80, all the way out to Barnesburg Road;
• Old Monticello Road south of the current city boundaries, as well as parts of Ky. 1642 and Ky. 1577 in the southern part of Pulaski;
• and more or less the entire Ky. 914 bypass semi-circle, with the exception of a short chunk of it extending from Ky. 769 (also to be annexed) and
Ky. 3057.
The council unanimously voted to pass the second reading of Ordinance 11-19. Councilors Jerry Girdler and Donna Hunley were not in attendance
WHATEVER floats your boat Dude!
|
![[*]](images/xpsilver/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
