A proposed annexation involving more than 65 acres of land in Amherst Township has been withdrawn once again, with officials indicating the request is likely to return in the future.
The Lorain County Board of Commissioners addressed the item during its April 21 meeting, where the annexation request was formally withdrawn due to issues with the application.
According to officials, the proposal involves transferring approximately 65 acres from Amherst Township into the city of Elyria. The request has now been submitted and withdrawn multiple times after problems were identified with the legal description and mapping included in the application.
“This particular one has been submitted twice. He has withdrawn twice,” the clerk of the board said, noting the issues were related to incorrect legal descriptions and mapping.
Despite the latest withdrawal, commissioners indicated the process is likely not over.
“Which means they’ll probably come back,” Commissioner Moore said.
Residents who spoke during the meeting questioned why the issue continues to reappear on the agenda without a clear resolution.
“This issue’s been on the agenda several times and we’ve gone back and forth,” said William Zimmerman of Avon Lake. “I’m trying to understand why nothing gets decided.”
Zimmerman also raised concerns about whether the repeated filings and withdrawals could be masking a larger effort to push the annexation forward.
“I want to make sure somehow… they’re not trying to be Shanghai’d into getting this land annexed,” Zimmerman said.
Commissioners responded by emphasizing their limited role in the annexation process, stating they do not determine whether an annexation should move forward.
“Annexation is in the hands of the property owner and the city or village that they’re seeking to annex to,” Commissioner Riddell said.
Riddell added that the board’s role is strictly administrative.
“We do not pass judgment whether the annexation is a good thing or a bad thing… We’re merely custodians of the process,” Riddell said.
Because of the withdrawal, no decision will be made on the annexation at this time. However, with officials indicating the request may be resubmitted, the issue could return to the commissioners’ agenda in the future.
At this time, the specific purpose of the proposed annexation was not discussed during the meeting.
