By Linda Stinnett

 

Neighbors in the 80-acre Hillsdale Addition, at 60th Street South near Stone Creek Park, likely guessed they would some day face annexation by Derby.

In recent years, the neighborhood has seen the city limits move closer and closer, until a good portion of their properties were surrounded by the city. 

“We will begin by stating that the (Hillsdale Addition) community is opposed to annexation,” said Alexis Buzzi, who served as spokesperson for the neighbors during the city council meeting on Jan. 10.

What most, if not all, did not know was that the original developer of the 13-home neighborhood had already agreed future annexation would not be opposed. And, that agreement was put in writing.

So shortly after the city announced in early November it would pursue annexation, the neighbors began talking with the city, both individually and as a group. By the time a scheduled public hearing was held on Jan. 10, city staff was already working on potential agreements to waive or exempt some city restrictions.

“After all of our pleas, and after you have heard our heartfelt disagreement, in the end, if you decide to annex our community, we respectfully request that you consider an exception to zoning, codes and ordinances, which is within your power,” Buzzi said.

The Hillsdale Addition is different than most city neighborhoods, with lot sizes from 4.5 to seven acres. It is a well-maintained neighborhood, with an average home value of $230,000. 

Currently, the neighbors both enjoy wildlife and have the ability to take care of problems with predators when it is necessary, as shooting guns is legal in the county. They also can ride all-terrain vehicles, allow grass at the back of their lots to grow naturally and raise livestock, if they choose.

Those are reasons the neighbors live there.

“We moved to the country purposefully,” Buzzi said.

A second resident also spoke to the council about the annexation plan. Daniel Mills said annexation will have a significant impact on him. 

When Mills built his home 18 years ago, it had an empty lot. He planted 1,000 trees, including 500 Austrian pines. They have provided wind breaks and privacy for the homeowner, but in recent years the pines have begun dying due to pine wilt disease.

He has been losing nearly 20 a year and he noted that city code requires that dead trees be cleaned up immediately. Such a stringent requirement would hurt him physically and economically, he said.

“It is not the first 20 I have to clean up now, it’s the 20 or so that are going to die next year,” he said.

Brown said he understood the cleanup could be cost prohibitive.

“We all know, unfortunately, these pine trees are dying,” he said. “It’s a shame.”

As the city steps forward to create a solution for annexing multi-acreage size lots, Buzzi noted that to the west of this addition, a light commercial business park is opening. To the north, agriculture and a flood plain limit development and most of the area is within McConnell’s fly zones, which restricts high density usage.

“Essentially, this means this entire area, along with our addition, will not physically change with annexation,” she said.

 

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