Greeley city council votes to approve annexation of land near Seeley Lake for future development
CB Keirnes Land Company LLC submitted petitions to the City of Greeley to annex five
properties totaling 160.62 acres generally located north of AA Street and west of Seeley Lake. Photo courtesy of the City of Greeley.
By Kelly Ragan
At a recent city council meeting, council voted 6-1 to annex six parcels of land north of AA Street and west of Seeley Lake, a spot near Highway 392 that remains sparsely developed and generally agricultural.
Mayor John Gates was the lone no vote.
“I’ve been at this a while and I’ve never seen an annexation with opposition so strong and powerful,” Gates said. “There is not one single person who’s called, emailed, or spoke in person on our virtual webinar that supported this, and that is impactful to me.”
The land itself belongs to Charles Keirnes, of CB Keirnes Land Company LLC, who requested the annexation. In the annexation application, he stated the land is intended for low-density single-family residential development, though there are no specific plans for the site yet.
So, what exactly is annexation?
It’s how municipalities, like the City of Greeley, incorporate new territory. This can happen either before or after development. It generally means a boost to revenue for the existing municipality and utilities, such as water, sewer, electricity, police and other services to the land being annexed.
Several neighboring residents spoke out against the annexation, both in person and via email. Some voiced concern over increased traffic in the area.
“Adding more homes will substantially increase traffic on County Roads 35 and 33, roads that are already inadequate for the current amount of vehicles,” wrote Anita Eley to council. “Additional homes will increase the noise and light pollution and will decrease the property values of the existing homes.”
Others said development in the area would fundamentally change the neighborhood’s rural, agricultural feel.
“The community has consistently voiced opposition to any such development, citing the importance of preserving our natural heritage, maintaining the rural character of our town, and safeguarding our collective well-being,” wrote resident Nicholas Pringle in an email to council.
Several councilmembers acknowledged that growth can be hard.
Councilmember Johnny Olson said it was council’s job to evaluate annexation requests that met the city’s criteria.
“Greeley will continue to grow. It’s not going to stop, and we don’t want it to stop,” he said. “I wish there was a better understanding of the (future) development, but that’s not what’s on the table tonight.”
Councilmember Tommy Butler said that while he voted to approve the annexation, he heard the complaints and planned to look closely at future development plans in an effort to respect and address residents’ concerns.