Commentary; Posted: 12/17/03

Time not right for Wyoming Township annexation

Cliff Buchan

It may be months, perhaps more than a year, before Chisago Cityís bid to annex some 11,000 acres of Wyoming Township is decided, but weíve come to one clear conclusion: The time is not right for this big land grab by the townshipís neighbor to the east.

Chisago Cityís decision to move forward may well be based on a sincere desire by its council to protect its future by providing the land for the growth and development the city council believes the city needs. But there is also a strong sense that the action is a result of frustration and the unsuccessful attempts by the city to successfully work together with the township on development issues.

Moving ahead with a contested annexation proceeding should not be the answer to this inability to get along.

Some may say that it is such governmental consolidation steps that are needed to make things more efficient and cost-effective. That may be true in some communities, but in this case the logic is hard to see.

The annexation bid would chop off the eastern half of the township and extend south and west along US-8 to the Washington County border in Forest Lake. It includes the vast bulk of the townshipís commercial and industrial tax base. The remaining area of Wyoming Township would be weakened and crippled by the dividing action.

Annexation of the commercial property in the Greenway Avenue quadrant would do wonders for the Chisago City tax base. But what real benefit would there be for the business and property owners in this general area?

Chisago City Mayor Chris DuBose said last week the area was included in part because the city of Forest Lake has no interest in annexing the property. Thatís a thin excuse at best to justify this land grab.

Certainly the city of Forest Lake has no interest in annexing the land. And there are reasons why.

Simply put there has been no overture to Forest Lake requesting such a move and an official position by the city council here. Now that Chisago City has broken the ice on this topic, property owners in and near Greenway Avenue may have no choice but to do so if they wish to protect their interests.

It is baffling how Chisago City can imagine any expansion of services to the US-8 area near Forest Lake that would be affordable. Sewer and water? Police?

If such services to the business park need to be improved, the only logical resource would seem to be Forest Lake. The area now in all practicality considers itself part of Forest Lake.

But this is all premature to the situation at hand. The real discussion should center on Wyoming Townshipís desire and ability to function as it is today.

The long-term plan may well involve forms of orderly annexation of township property to Chisago City and the city of Wyoming. Based on current agreements, Chisago City may be in a position to address some of its expansion desires through such means in cases where property owners in the township wish to develop land and require the services that only the city can provide.

The city of Wyoming and Wyoming Township have worked hard at building a solid relationship and are partnering now on projects that benefit the citizens of both communities. The move by Chisago City and requests to the city of Wyoming to join its effort can only damage this positive relationship.

One certainty exists in all of this. The residents of the Wyoming Township and Chisago City will both face towering legal bills in a contested case. There is also the gamble by Chisago City that an administrative law judge will see the matter in the same light as leaders there do.

And in that picture we believe a law judge would be hard-pressed to agree to such a large-scale land grab when other solutions are available that will enable both governmental entities to exist, serve their citizens efficiently and grow in ways that suit both communities.

If Chisago Cityís leaders are wise, they should rethink this decision and let the process evolve over time as area growth would dictate. It would be the best Christmas present its leaders could give to all parties concerned.

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