Published: November 12, 2009 10:38 am      

Officials: Proposed annexations necessary for growth

Public hearings scheduled Dec. 10

Keene officials are considering annexing about 824 acres of land, a move officials call necessary and at least one resident opposes.

The Keene City Council will hold two public hearings on the matter at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 10.

The proposed annexations include 97.33 acres north of downtown and west of Old Betsy Road. The second proposal includes land east of town on both sides of U.S. 67.

Keene resident Dan Roberts said the city does not have the money to take on the new areas under consideration and has failed to supply services to several previously annexed areas.

“They annexed property five years ago, promised sewer service, and haven’t provided it,” Roberts said. “Some of this [property under consideration] is 7.5 miles away from downtown. We don’t have the money to fix our streets. Why do we want to take this on?

“Those people out there live far enough away from Keene that they probably don’t even know where Keene is, and they need to be alerted. Keene citizens need to stand up and say we can’t afford this.”

Roberts said the city is pushing for annexation by Dec. 31 so they can get the new properties on the city tax rolls by Jan. 1.

“They want to tax houses out there, take money from people when they can’t afford to provide services for them,” Roberts said.

Roberts said he and others plan to attend the Dec. 10 hearings to voice their disapproval.

“We’ve got a group with a petition to give to the council,” Roberts said. “Basically saying the citizens of Keene don’t want to spend money on any involuntary annexations until we can afford it. It’s not to our long-term benefit.”

City leaders said the annexations would be to the city’s long-term benefit.

“The main reasons cities annex is to provide room to grow, bring in new residential development, business and so forth,” Keene Mayor Roy Robinson said.

Robinson cited 1990 census figures showing the population density of Keene totals about 1,800 residents per square mile versus Cleburne’s 650 per square mile.

Robinson and City Administrator Ismael Lopez said another reason to annex is as a defensive measure to ensure other cities don’t encroach on the city and leave it landlocked.

Both addressed the lack of sewer service to some of the already annexed areas of town.

“The rule is you’re supposed to, within time, provide a service plan for the new area comparable to what the city has,” Robinson said. “There are extenuating circumstances, however, such as the topography of the area. A number of areas still don’t have sewer service, areas where we would have to install lift stations.”

Those areas, Robinson said, were not promised sewer service within a particular time when annexed.

“Very soon though we will be considering engineering plans regarding Keene’s infrastructure,” Robinson said. “And part of that plan includes bringing sewer service to those areas affected.”

City leaders hope to begin initiation of such plans next year, Lopez said.

“It’s a multi-year plan,” Lopez said. “But the long-term plan is to bring sewer service to those areas.”

Officials, Roberts said, also plan to annex more land between Grandview and Alvarado all the way to Interstate 35W in the near future,

“Any talk of future annexation is hearsay,” Lopez said. “We haven’t got to that point yet and there’s no definite plans.”