City, County Differ On Colonial Gardens Annexation

The people in Colonial Gardens Manufactured Home Park need water. The City of Manhattan has agreed to provide the Park with water. The City passed a resolution Tuesday night that will bring the Park into the City limits but Manhattan, "we have a problem."

The City wants to bring Colonial Gardens in without bring in Marlatt Ave. It is call an Island Annexation because Colonial Gardens does not fit against other properties that are in the City limits.

The Riley County Commission will have to approve the Annexation and they make it clear Monday that they would not approve the Annexation if the City did not include Marlatt Ave.

Marlatt Ave has been a problem for the County for a long time. To start with the road is not in the right place. When the road was built 75 or 100 years ago it was moved to the north because of the Marlatt ditch. The County at that time did not get Right-of-way rights to the new land.

Marlatt Ave to the East of Tuttle Creek Blvd is not even a County road, it is a Township road. The County does not have money for roads and the Township has even less.

If the City brings in Colonial Gardens and a new low income housing unit to the east called Tuttle Creek Residences more traffic will be thrown onto Marlatt Ave.

The Tuttle Creek Residences will have 108 apartment units. The new area is located on the east of Colonial Gardens and it also abuts the USD 383 school property on the south.

Which if you put it all together could be annexed without using the Island Annexation but the City would then own Marlatt Ave. and it would need to be reconstructed as a City street.

Here is a Memo about Colonial Gardens:

BACKGROUND

ARC III, L.L.C., d/b/a Colonial Gardens MHC, has requested annexation of Colonial Gardens manufactured home park, an approximate 74 acre tract of land, which is generally located northeast of the intersection of Tuttle Creek Boulevard and Marlatt Avenue, along the east side of Tuttle Creek Boulevard. The applicant has requested the rezoning of the site from B-3 Detached Multiple Family Residential District; C-PUD, Commercial Planned Unit Development; and, G-1, General Agricultural District, to R-5, Manufactured Home Park District (see separate rezoning application).

The annexation request is prompted by a need to obtain water service due to water quality problems. Colonial Gardens currently owns and operates a public water supply system, which serves Colonial Gardens, Valleywood and D&W subdivisions. There have been several positive total coliform (bacteria) water quality test results within the past two years within the water supply piping system. In addition, proper chlorine levels have been difficult to maintain. Sufficient chlorine levels are needed to protect public health and ensure disinfection in drinking water. Colonial Gardens is currently served with sanitary sewer from the Casement interceptor sewer line.

An Agreement between the City of Manhattan and the Board of County Commissioners of Riley County will provide, in part, for the construction of a water main, which will connect with the City of Manhattan’s existing water distribution system at Tuttle Creek Boulevard and Marlatt Avenue and extend along Tuttle Creek Boulevard and east along Barnes Road. Each subdivision will have a separate connection to the main.

(Note: Because the site does not adjoin City, the request is considered an island annexation, which requires the Board of County Commissioners of Riley County to approve a resolution, and find that the annexation will not hinder or prevent the proper growth and development of the area or that of any other incorporated city located in the county. The resolution is tentatively scheduled for consideration by County Commissioners in late December 2001. First readings of annexation and rezoning are tentatively scheduled for consideration by the City Commission on January 8, 2002.)

When considering an annexation request, the Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board shall make a recommendation on the proposed annexation based on the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan for the Manhattan Urban Area and the City of Manhattan, Kansas, the Growth Vision, and the Capital Improvements Program (CIP).

LAND USE ELEMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

The site is designated as RLM, Residential Low to Medium density in the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The RLM category suggests a density range of less than one up to eleven dwelling units per net acre. The category is primarily for single-family homes, but duplexes, townhomes and manufactured home parks are also applicable if the density range is not exceeded.

There are 342 lots in the Colonial Gardens on a site containing approximately 74 acres. Density is approximately 5 dwelling units per net acre.

Colonial Gardens is located in Growth Area 3 as identified in the Housing Element. Priority housing types identified in Growth Area 3 include single-family, two-family and multiple-family uses with the highest priority of any growth area for the development of quality manufactured/mobile home parks. Colonial Gardens is an existing quality manufactured home park.

The rezoning request conforms to the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan.

GROWTH VISION

One of the Purposes of the Growth Vision is to "Direct urban development into planned areas where basic services such as sewers, water facilities and fire protection can be efficiently and economically provided while maintaining the quality of services to areas within the City." The Growth Vision also suggests under Land Use to "Direct urban development into designated Urban Service Areas where basic services such as sewers, water facilities, and fire protection can be efficiently and economically provided." The site is generally contiguous to the City and is already served by sewer, can be efficiently served with needed water facilities and is in close proximity to fire services located at Kimball and Denison Avenue.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM

The site is within the Urban Service Area and can be served by public improvements and facilities.

ALTERNATIVES

It appears the MUAPB has the following alternatives concerning the issue at hand. The Board may:

1. Recommend approval of the annexation Colonial Gardens, based on conformance with the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan for the Manhattan Urban Area and the City of Manhattan, Kansas, the Growth Vision, and the Capital Improvements Program (CIP).

2. Recommend denial the annexation of Colonial Gardens, for specifically stated reasons.

3. Table the annexation of Colonial Gardens to a specific date, indicating the reasons for tabling.

RECOMMENDATION

City Administration recommends approval of the annexation of Colonial Gardens, based on conformance with the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan for the Manhattan Urban Area and the City of Manhattan, Kansas, the Growth Vision, and the Capital Improvements Program (CIP).