ANDERSON, Ind. —
The Anderson City Council on Thursday night rejected Mayor Kevin Smith’s Anderson Fast Forward Annexation proposals.
The vote on the proposed northeast annexation was 7-2; the vote on the proposed southwest annexation was 6-3.
“The door has been closed on Anderson’s future by this vote of the City Council,” said a disappointed Smith. “The council made a well-informed decision and decided to turn away from future jobs and further growth.”
The goal of Anderson Fast Forward, which Smith unveiled early last month, was to stabilize Anderson’s population and property tax base and create an economic development corridor by capturing unincorporated frontage along I-69 to the Madison/Hamilton County line.
The proposed northeast annexation would have absorbed about four square miles in Union and Richland townships, add 2,900 to Anderson’s population, 1,163 homes, five businesses and 25 miles of roads to the city.
The southwest annexation would have extended Anderson’s city limits over to the Hamilton County line, positioning it to take advantage of commercial, industrial and residential growth moving north from Indianapolis, Fishers and Noblesville.
Opposition to both proposals developed swiftly and was vocal. Faced with an angry crowd of opponents last month when it first considered the plans, the City Council tabled a vote to introduce the resolutions and fiscal plans that would have formally started the annexation process.
Members said they wanted to gather more information about the plans and have an opportunity to ask questions and gauge public opinion.
City Council President David Eicks, D-At Large, said before voting on the southwest component of the plan that communities should revel in each other’s successes, adding that he had proposed an alternative to the administration’s plan: a much smaller strip annexation that would have allowed the city to capture more Interstate 69 frontage.
Anthony “Ty” Bibbs, D-At-Large, and Russ Willis, R-District 1, voted for the northeast annexaton.
Bibbs, Willis and Rodney Chamberlain, D-At Large, voted for the southwest annexation.
An emotional Chamberlain said he might pay a political price for his vote in support of the southwest annexation, but felt compelled to support it.
“Life is about opportunity,” he said, and the city needed to seize this one.
Find Stu Hirsch on Facebook and @StuHirsch on Twitter, or call 640-4861.
Anderson Annexation
Related Photos
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Mayor Kevin Smith gives an overview of the Anderson Fast Forward plan during the Anderson City Council meeting on Thursday. Don Knight
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The City Council Chambers were full and several more people watched from the auditorium as the Anderson City Council discussed the Anderson Fast Forward plan during their meeting on Thursday. Don Knight
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Anderson City Council President David Eicks asks a question during discussion of the Anderson Fast Forward plan during the City Council meeting on Thursday. Don Knight
Discussion
Council votes down annexation efforts
Majority of members oppose mayor’s plan to expand Anderson
- Anderson Annexation
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- Anderson mayor says southwest annexation back on the table Mayor Kevin Smith plans to resurrect the so-called southwest annexation that was part of an annexation plan rejected last winter by Anderson City Council.
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Lapel officials move forward with super-voluntary annexation
The Anderson City Council killed Anderson Fast Forward last month, but a proposed super-voluntary annexation designed to keep Anderson at bay is moving ahead.
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Council members: Annexation failure could foster cooperation
In the end, there was probably little chance Mayor Kevin Smith’s expansive Anderson Fast Forward annexation proposals would be approved. They were large, complex, costly and controversial from the outset. Thursday night, the City Council rejected both plans.
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Council votes down annexation efforts
The Anderson City Council on Thursday night rejected Mayor Kevin Smith’s Anderson Fast Forward Annexation proposals. The vote on the proposed northeast annexation was 7-2; the vote on the proposed southwest annexation was 6-3.
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City Council could decide annexation questions tonight
There has been a month of intense public discussion about Anderson Fast Forward, Mayor Kevin Smith’s proposal to annex nearly 21 square miles of new land into the city. Tonight, the question of how, or whether, to move forward with that plan once again falls on the shoulders of nine members of the Anderson City Council.
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Anderson annexation: Question one
With Anderson City Council set to consider an ambitious annexation plan Tuesday, questions abound about the short- and long-term impact of the plan abound. Key among them: What impact would annexation have on the Mallard Lake landfill?
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Anderson annexation: Other key questions
The City of Anderson is proposing to annex more than 20 square miles of property, most of it giving the city more access to Interstate 69 to the southwest and a smaller portion on the northeast side of the city. Here are answers to 19 other key questions.
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Debate rages over Anderson’s proposed annexations
“Anderson Fast Forward is the largest public policy proposal the city of Anderson has been engaged in since 1957,” Mayor Kevin Smith told The Herald Bulletin’s editorial board recently. He calls it a defining moment in charting the city’s future.
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Editorial: On balance, annexation in community’s best interests
While residents of affected areas have many valid concerns, annexation would be a boon to Anderson — and what’s good for Anderson is generally good for Madison County.
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Live chat: Discuss annexation with Stuart Hirsch
Herald Bulletin reporter Stuart Hirsch is answering your questions and responding to your comments regarding the city of Anderson's proposal to annex about 21 square miles of land on the city's northeast and southwest sides. Join us now by clicking here.
