Altoona City Council approves annexation to expand to the southeast

The Altoona City Council approved a large annexation on Monday that paves the way for new development on the southeast side while absorbing several homeowners who live in what was once the country.

The council signed off on a proposal to bring about 276 acres of land into the city's borders, around the Spring Creek Sports Complex and the intersection of Edwin W. Skinner Parkway/Northeast 38th Avenue and Northeast 80th Street. The plan is expected to go before the state's City Development Board for a vote on final approval in January.

City officials anticipate residential and commercial development in the area, and more traffic is expected along 80th because of growth in the Southeast Polk Community School District.

Roughly 7% of property at hand is owned by property owners who do not agree to becoming part of Altoona, spread out among nearly 20 residential properties. Iowa law discourages irregular borders and prohibits creating "islands" of county land when cities annex land, so cities are allowed to bring in up to 20% of property from owners who don't agree.

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Attorney Frank Smith, representing the city of Altoona, said Monday that the process ensures regular borders to keep the city in line with Iowa law and allow for efficient extension of public services. He said that Altoona, unlike many other cities he represents, offers city tax breaks and waivers on water and sewer service connection fees to affected property owners.

Several of the property owners, who live in more rural acreages off Northeast 38th Avenue and Northeast 80th Street, spoke to the council to ask questions about the process and what will be coming to the area while sharing their worries. Their homes were built in the 1990s and early 2000s, back when Altoona was less than half the size it is now, and the area was more secluded. Development has now come their way.

Steve Oberto, a non-consenting owner, said he knows what the law says, but said it should be the other way around: 80% of property owners should have to agree, instead of the owners of 80% of the land. Together, a handful of the property owners who agree own large chunks of land that get the proposed annexation over 80%.

"I think it's a very unfair thing to do when the majority of homeowners are not in favor of it," he said.

Lisa Beem, another property owner who didn't agree to join, said she's lived in the area for 24 years, and she expressed concerns about development in the area and asked to learn more about what's expected to spring up.

"We moved out there to get away from that," she said.

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Small, rural property owners around eastern and northern Polk County are confronting Iowa's annexation rules as the eastern suburbs of Des Moines continue to grow rapidly and soak up land to fuel new development while needing to comply with state law.

Polk County residents near the tiny city of Alleman organized against an Ankeny annexation this year, and Alleman is pursuing its own annexation plan that would preserve agricultural land and slow Ankeny's development to the north. Polk County Administrator John Norris told the Board of Supervisors last month that county officials have serious concerns about Alleman's proposal, and county staff are working on a letter to express those issues to the City Development Board.

Another large annexation proposal from Altoona, on the other end of the city, was approved in October for an area destined for industrial development.

Meanwhile, the Bondurant City Council is expected to address a major proposal later this month to annex 1,019 acres to expand to the southeast, including some non-consenting property owners, in an area outlined in planning documents for business park and industrial development off Interstate 80.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Plan to expand Altoona to the southeast for development moves ahead