Bethel Heights And Tontitown Property Owners Seek Annexation Into Springdale

Bethel Heights Land Meant For Addition To Shiloh Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

SPRINGDALE -- The city could grow by more than 40 acres and increase tax revenue if the Bethel Heights and Tontitown city councils approve the deannexation of two properties.

Springdale aldermen forwarded two ordinances to the City Council at Monday's City Council Committee meeting. The ordinances state city officials' interest in the annexation of land from Tontitown and Bethel Heights.

AT A GLANCE

Other Meeting Business

• Aldermen forwarded an amendment to the city’s swimming pool ordinance to City Council. The amendment specifies that gates used for access to swimming pools must self-latch or be locked.

• Aldermen forwarded an amendment to the city’s mobile vending ordinance to the Planning Commission. The amendment would increase a vendor’s allotted amount of time per location from one hour to three hours.

• Aldermen forwarded to City Council an ordinance authorizing the city’s Public Works Department to purchase a metal truss building with a fabric cover for storage of road salt and grit. The purchase would not exceed $79,960.90 plus state tax.

Source: Staff Report

The owner of Shiloh Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Bethel Heights requested annexation of two to three acres into Springdale, said Joseph Norsworthy, the owner's brother. The land is zoned agricultural, is undeveloped and is adjacent to the rehabilitation facility on West Stultz Road.

The owner wants the property annexed into Springdale so it can be used to construct an addition to the center, Norsworthy said. The addition could be built without the annexation, but it would be difficult. The building would have to comply with codes and regulations from both cities.

The annexation process has multiple steps under state code, said Ernest Cate, Springdale city attorney. Springdale City Council first has to approve an ordinance stating its interest in annexing the property. Then Bethel Heights has 60 days to have a public hearing and either agree or disagree to deannex the property through a City Council vote.

The issue would come back to the Springdale City Council if it is approved by the Bethel Heights City Council, and Springdale aldermen would have to approve annexation of the land, Cate said.

Jeff Hutcheson, Bethel Heights mayor, said he doesn't think Bethel Heights aldermen would approve the deannexation of the land. Deannexing the property would mean a loss of future tax revenue for Bethel Heights.

"It just doesn't make sense financially," he said. "Property is value."

There is another way the property owner can get the land annexed into Springdale if Bethel Heights City Council denies their request, Cate said. The owner would have to acquire an attorney and ask Bethel Heights for a service it doesn't provide but Springdale does. They could then pursue annexation into Springdale through use of that service.

First Security Bank also made a request to have 39 acres deannexed from Tontitown and annexed into Springdale. Annexation of the land from Tontitown would have to undergo the same process under state code as the deannexation of land from Bethel Heights.

There are a few ways land can be annexed into a city, Cate said. A city can annex property if it is in the county and is completely surrounded on all sides by that city. The city with the largest border against the property can annex it if there are multiple cities surrounding it.

A property owner in the county with land against a city border can also request annexation into the city, said Doug Sprouse, Springdale mayor.

NW News on 09/16/2014

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