County gets Sylvania annexation bids

11/18/2000

The city of Sylvania has filed annexation petitions with the Lucas County commissioners for two Sylvania Township parcels, including one that has been the subject of city lawsuits against property owners who refused to sign the petitions.

Involved are tracts of 328.1 acres on all corners except the northeast corner of the Sylvania Avenue-King Road intersection and 11.6 acres on the southwest corner of Brint and King roads.

The commissioners have set a Jan. 31 hearing date for the smaller annexation and Feb. 7 for the larger one.

All three property owners in the Brint-King annexation site have signed the city's petition, but such is not the case for the tract along Sylvania Avenue.

During the summer, the city sued residents of the Wicklow Woods and Farmbrook subdivisions who refused to sign the annexation petitions for the larger tract. The city contends that the properties involved have annexation covenants that were executed in exchange for water and sewer service.

The lawsuits remain pending, but the city petition states that signatures have now been obtained from a majority of the 89 property owners within the tract, which includes Sylvania Southview High School and a new commercial complex anchored by a Kroger supermarket.

Sylvania Councilwoman Barbara Sears, chairwoman of council's annexation committee, said enough of those named in the lawsuit have since signed the annexation petition for it to be filed. The city will continue pursuing the lawsuit until everyone signs or the annexation takes effect, she said.

Dock Treece, a Sylvania Township trustee, said he believes the annexation will fail on its merits, in part because it is unduly large and, except for garbage collection, the city is offering no services that are not already available in the area.

But Mrs. Sears and Read Backus, city council president, said the annexation covenants were agreed to by the landowners when water and sewer service was extended beyond the city limits.

“It's hard to understand how people could ignore that covenant” even if they bought their homes after it was signed, Mr. Backus said.