The City of Athens is acquiring the final piece of its developmental puzzle for the east side of town.
In the coming weeks, the city is expected to annex 15 acres of property that formerly housed the Columbia Gas Company of Ohio’s Athens office.
The annexation is relatively small compared to others in the city’s history but would complete the city’s comprehensive plan for East State Street, City Planner Paul Logue said.
“This would probably be the final major development site on East State Street,” Logue said at an Oct. 8 Athens City Council meeting.
The property is prime for retail development because it is surrounded by land already annexed by the city, Logue said.
“It seems to be an area suitable for development, whether it’s for commercial, office, or research use,” Logue said. “There’s a need for space like this within the city of Athens.”
Annexation is rare for the city, with only one or two parcels of land acquired each year, Logue said.
One of the city’s most substantial acquisitions was the annexation of the Mechanicsburg area south of the Hocking River along Richland Avenue. This area was formerly a village before being annexed into the city in the 1950s, Logue said.
The late 1990s and early 2000s were a time of significant growth for the city as well, when two large parcels totaling about 1,600 acres were added within the city corporation limits, Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said.
In 1999, Athens annexed The Ridges, adding 765 acres to the city, Wiehl said.
The city made another large annexation shortly thereafter when it absorbed University Estates, an additional 830 acres, Logue said.
Despite the city’s track record in recent years, Logue said large annexations are rare.
Even so, city officials anticipate further growth on the west side of Athens, Wiehl said.
“The city’s comprehensive plan is pushing development toward the west,” Wiehl said. “The topography out east discourages further growth.”
Wiehl said major land acquisitions might not be in the city’s immediate future, but smaller annexations are possible.
“There are bits and pieces where we want to smooth the curve of the city limits,” Wiehl said. “There’s a portion of land on Columbus Road that is technically in the county.”
When property owners approach the city about annexation, government officials spend a great deal of time planning with them, said Athens City Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward.
“Annexation is set out pretty rigorously by the Ohio Revised Code,” Fahl said. “(The property owners) have to abide by our zoning codes.”
Property owners want to be annexed into the city because of the availability of services provided by the city, Fahl said.
“There’s always better development potential when you’re in the city, because you have better services,” Fahl said.
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