Preventing annexations by neighboring municipalities was the focus of Homer Township’s annual town meeting, with residents urging the board to proceed with a plan to purchase open land.
Two of four resolutions on open space were approved by acclamation of about 50 residents at the meeting.
The strongest of the two resolutions directs the board to take whatever legal steps are necessary to see that voters are asked on the November ballot to approve the purchase of open land.
A plan to buy about 300 acres of open land for about $8 million has been spearheaded by Township Supervisor Ron Svara. He said the next steps include writing and publicizing a list of specific properties targeted for purchase, contacting those property owners to determine their interest in selling and holding a public hearing on the plan.
Approval of the resolution came after Jim Davis, a member of the Preserve Homer Committee, recounted the ways in which the committee is looking at opposing annexations, particularly by Lockport.
In addition to the proposed township purchase of open land, the committee has studied other concepts for fighting annexation. These include purchase of land by the township that would then be developed in the manner it wants and sold.
“It (would prevent) a case where a developer buys it (land) and then we have to butt heads over whether it would be a truck terminal or office/research,” Davis said.
Also, the township is looking at the deannexation of subdivisions in neighboring communities. For example, Davis said the committee is aware of some Lockport residents who are unhappy with the idea of their city expanding.
“These people are ripe for disconnection” from Lockport, he said.
