The City of Independence is issuing a statement about recent rumors suggesting that the City is annexing properties several miles out into the County. These rumors aren’t true.
The City does acknowledge a typographical error on one of the maps included in the draft plan, which incorrectly labeled the City’s Planning Boundary as City Limits. This error is being fixed by the consultant to ensure accurate representation, and it’s important to note that this is the only map out of dozens where that error occurred.
The City has a history of providing services to industries beyond its City limits as part of its economic development initiatives to support job growth in the region. For instance, the City provides water and sanitary sewer services to Textron, and it is providing water to Rural Water District #6 to serve the new Bartlett Soy Bean Plant. These efforts benefit not only the City, but the entire area. Both of these facilities are outside the City limits, but are within the City’s Planning Boundary.
The proposed future land use plan map included in the City's proposed Community Development/Comprehensive Plan outlines a Planning Boundary around the City that is currently being served or could potentially be served by the City in the event of future growth. This comprehensive plan forecasts potential growth areas and their respective land uses through the year 2050, aiming to support sustainable development and infrastructure planning. The Planning Boundary is not a mass annexation plan.
Page 5 of the plan explicitly states, "The planning boundary intentionally extends past the existing city limits to plan for future growth and development." This approach aligns with previous comprehensive plans, including the 1982 Comprehensive Plan, which also included a General Development Plan map extending beyond the City limits, which included a three mile boundary around the City.
It is crucial to clarify that while the City has the authority to initiate annexations of properties adjoining the City limits, most annexations occur at the request of property owners seeking City services for development purposes or to address service-related issues. Any annexations not adjacent to the City limits require approval from the County, even if initiated by property owners.
Additionally, it is important to clarify that zoning authority outside the City limits lies with the County, while the City's zoning authority is confined to areas within its limits.
The City invites citizens to participate in the public hearing before the Planning Commission on May 7, 2024, at 5:30 PM in the Veterans Room of Memorial Hall to discuss and consider adopting the Community Development/Comprehensive Plan.
For more information and to review the draft Community Development/Comprehensive Plan, please visit the project website at https://engage.thinkconfluence.com/independence-community-development-plan