Annexing the Cobblestone area is on Mendon's new year's resolution list

By Marty Archibald

December 12, 2005 | MENDON -- Many residents of Mendon are surprised to learn that an area at the south end of the city, known as Cobblestone, is not officially a part of the city. Annexing the area south of Mendon has been discussed for years, but with recent talks, the Cobblestone area may soon be an official part of the city.

"It's been a topic of discussion for very long time," says Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Michael Morgan. "It's been discounted because the road is so difficult to maintain in the winter."

The road Morgan speaks of is the main access to the 40 some houses in the Cobblestone area. The two-mile stretch of road is very narrow and slopes gradually for nearly the entire length.

Morgan says that if the area is annexed, the job of clearing off the road in the winter would have to be contracted out to the county, because the city doesn't have the resources needed.

As for improving the road Morgan says, "There is really nothing we can to do to change what it is now. It's just a bad road."

The city's main concern with the Cobblestone area is its future development.

"We want to make sure that in the future if and when it is developed, because eventually it will, that's just what happens," says Morgan, "that it is developed in a way that fits within Mendon city's not only infrastructure, but would help maintain the look and feel of what Mendon is and what people have moved to Mendon for."

The city wants to oversee Cobblestone's future development so that when new houses begin to go in, they are clustered together rather then spread out along the hillside. Morgan says that the same amount of houses could go up either way, but by clustering them it would help maintain a more open feel.

"We want to try and plan ahead for that," says Morgan. "Make sure that as it grows it can grow right.

The president of the homeowners association in the Cobblestone area, Chuck Gay, says that a raise in taxes is the biggest gripe residents have.

"We've made no secret of the fact that if its annexed, their taxes will go up," says Morgan. "That's what happens when you join a city." Morgan estimates that taxes for residents in the area will go up $150 for every $100,000 of property value. Taxes for agricultural land falling under the Greenbelt exemption would only raise a few dollars. The city estimates that, if annexed, the Cobblestone area would add $15,000 annually to the city's budget.

Hunting is also an issue that some Cobblestone residents have raised, Gay says. Some of the land in the area proposed for annexation has been used for hunting in the past. The city's current ordinances don't allow hunting within city limits.

"That's an issue we have to address," says Morgan.

The city is currently addressing some of those issues raised by rewriting ordinances. Along with hunting ordinances, the city has looked at changing agricultural ordinances. A large area of the land the city wants to annex is agricultural land and the city's current ordinances don't have a good infrastructure for large agricultural areas, says Morgan.

Morgan's main concern in annexing the Cobblestone area is that the area has no representation in the city.

"There is a large body of people that live up there," Morgan says. "These people participate in the community in many different ways, but none of them have the opportunity to serve on the official Mendon city organizations. They're not represented even though they are essentially a part of Mendon; they just aren't within the city."

Morgan believes that there is a large talent pool in the area. Many in the area have participated in planning celebrations for Mendon and served on unofficial committees. "There are so many people up there that could contribute so much to the city that right now can't," says Morgan.

The plans to annex the Cobblestone area are currently being looked at by the planning and zoning commission. Morgan expects those plans to go to City Council in February.

Morgan is in the unique position of following those plans to city council. He was elected to be Mendon's new mayor starting in 2006.

Morgan expects the annexation process to go smoothly once it reaches city council, but he also says that, "there's a really a lot of unknowns yet in the final process.

"If we can do what I'm trying to do," says Morgan, "when it finally goes to city council we will already have the support of the property owners, and it will essentially be a request from them."

Morgan says that Cobblestone residents will be invited to discuss the issue once it reaches city council. He expects the process to be over within the following months after that. If things go as planned Cobblestone will be part of the city early next year.

"We're not in a hurry to do this," says Morgan, "and we're not trying to ram it down anyone's throat, we're just trying to do it right. If not now, it will happen eventually. This isn't a question of if; it's just a question of when."

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