Commission Hears Concerns on Proposal to Annex Lodi Township Parcels to Saline

A group of Lodi Township property owners, including those who live in a pocket of the township completely surrounded by the City of Saline, spoke out against a proposal to annex their property into the city.

The State Boundary Commission held a public hearing on its proposal to expand the Saline city limits at City Hall Wednesday afternoon.

The proposal considers expand the city limits along Waterworks Road, from Saline-Ann Arbor Road to Keystone Community Church. The proposal also considers annexing a small “island” of Lodi Township properties in an area most people would just assume was part of the city, on North Ann Arbor Street near Brecon Village. The nine properties are completely surrounded by the city.

The impetus for the annexation was a petition to the State Boundary Commission from Keystone Community Church, which wants city water and sewer for the planned expansion of the growing church. The State Boundary Commission cannot annex the church property alone, according to Commissioner James Stewart, because it would create yet another detached island of Lodi Township residents. Stewart said creating such islands may be illegal.

But for representatives of the church and one other property owner, all of the Lodi Township property owners spoke against annexation. The big issue, for many, is taxes. Township residents pay 1.65 mills to Lodi. City residents pay 15.53 mills to Saline.

The residents along Waterworks Road have their own wells and septic tanks. Mark Ormsby said he left the city of Saline to live in Lodi Township.

“I purposely moved to Lodi Township for the bigger property and different lifestyle,” Ormsby said. “I’m not in favor of paying higher taxes and I’m not for paying for water and sewer service.”

Martha Estes also lives on Waterworks Road. She said she didn’t have a problem with the church expanding, but she thought it was wrong to force higher city taxes on other residents.

“We would have to get another job to pay the extra taxes,” Estes said. “We just paid $3,000 to update our water systems and keep everything working.”

Several residents of the Lodi Township “island” also voiced disapproval of the proposal. These residents currently enjoy some city services. They pay triple what City of Saline residents pay for the city’s water and sewer service. But they also get their roads plowed and have street lights for no extra charge.

Rick Stemm said his family has lived on North Ann Arbor Street since 1993. In 2008, he bought the house.

“I am opposed to (annexation) for tax reasons and for because Lodi Township treats us nicely,” Stemm said. “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Tami Elliot, a city resident, owns North Star Montessori School in the Lodi Township “island.” She said her property is zoned for agriculture but she operates her business with a non-conforming use variance from the township. She said she is worried about what would happen to her ability to use and sell her building if she was annexed to the city.

“If I decide to sell the property, would I have to sell it as a residential property? I don’t have a tub, a shower or a kitchen. I’d probably have to sell it for a quarter of what I paid for it,” she said. “That’s a huge potential loss on top of paying $2,300 more a year in property taxes.”

Kurt Schmerberg spoke on behalf of his sister, who owns a duplex on seven acres. He said annexing the property to the city would only cost an extra $100 annually in taxes. He peppered the commissioners with questions.

“We’re not for or against the proposal. We need more information,” he said.

He wanted to know if his sister would be required to install sidewalks and connect to water and sewer. He also questioned whether the duplex would be an acceptable use in the city. The commissioners advised Schmerberg to pose the questions to City of Saline officials.

Lodi Township supervisor Jan Godek told the commission the Lodi Township board is opposed to annexing the residential properties.

City resident Mary Hess said she understood the concerns of Waterworks Road residents but said she thought the commission should make the Lodi Township “island” part of the city. She said it was unfair for those residents to enjoy so many city services without paying city taxes.  She noted that the city cannot enforce the maintenance of sidewalks in front of the township homes, which she said are a safety risk for residents who walked in the area.

“Maybe years ago we didn’t have the best planning, but hopefully the commission can straighten this out,” Hess said. “I’m sorry for those people who’ve enjoyed the lower taxes, but I’m 74 and on a fixed income. We all share in the benefits, we should all pay the taxes.”

The State Boundary Commission will accept written comment for the next 30 days. The State Boundary Commission may schedule a supplemental public hearing if more information is needed or new information needs to be brought forward.

The next step is an adjudicative meeting, when the commission votes on what to recommend to the state’s Director of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. That meeting will happen three to five months from now in Lansing.

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