DELAWARE — Galena could grow by roughly 58 acres after Delaware County commissioners granted an annexation petition Thursday morning.
Those 58 acres currently sit in Berkshire Township on what was once the Debolt Farm along Trenton Road.
The approval came after receiving a letter from Galena Mayor Jeff Kinnell, who reassured commissioners the village will assume responsibility of maintaining Vans Valley Road and Trenton Road.
“The letter addressed any concerns that I had regarding that issue,” Commissioner Gary Merrell said.
Commissioner Barb Lewis agreed. Commissioner Jeff Benton was not present for the meeting.
Now, it’s up to Galena’s Village Council to approve the annexation.
However, Kinnel said it’s early in the process. First, the zoning commission will work through the proposed developments on the land and make recommendations to council.
Council will then approve development plans and the annexation request together.
Commissioners previously tabled review
Commissioners previously tabled the decision on whether the annexation petition met requirements under the Ohio Revised Code, an unusual step that Commissioner Jeff Benton said the board rarely takes.
The review came after Berkshire Township filed an objection to the annexation petition on the grounds that the annexation would create an “island” of unincorporated area in the township.
In their Aug. 27 meeting, commissioners heard from their legal counsel Aric Hochstettler, who found the creation of the “island” did not violate annexation requirements.
However, Hochstettler did worry the petition violated a different requirement laid out in ORC related to road maintenance responsibility.
The village of Galena passed an ordinance stating the village would provide planning and zoning services, municipal water service and municipal sewage service to the annexed area.
However, the ordinance did not address whether the village would assume responsibility for maintaining Vans Valley Road and Trenton Road— two county roads that fall in the land requested for annexation.
Commissioners received a letter from Galena’s Village Solicitor Kenneth Molnar, which read:
“It is my understanding that the village has agreed to negotiate a resolution with the township and/or county, and if no agreement can be reached, that the village would take over responsibility for repair and maintenance of any parts of the roadway which have not been annexed.”
Commissioners tabled the request because the language in the letter was not binding enough.
