‘Most of my retirement is in my house.’ Merced annexation talk raises homeowner concerns
The Merced City Council, Planning Commission and members of the community participated in a study session recently to explore the pros, cons and logistics of annexing a large swath of land in north Merced.
The 7,600 acres in question mostly stretches north of East Yosemite Avenue past UC Merced and west of Yosemite Lake to G Street. It would increase the city’s size by at least a whopping 50%.
The first public annexation meeting took place in May. Since then, city officials have received copious — but mixed — feedback from people who live within the annexation area, plus members of the City Council, Board of Supervisors, Local Agency Formation Commission, Merced County Farm Bureau and others.
Council chambers were overflowing with residents and stakeholders Monday. Merced Director of Development Services Scott McBride estimated about 150 people attended. About 700 property or parcel owners are within the area’s boundaries, according to the study.
City officials attempted to assure affected residents, who are anxious over the impacts of potential annexation, that no plans are set. Community input is imperative, they said.
“Seven thousand six hundred acres is too big of a bite, and I haven’t hear anyone advocate for that in the council (or) outside of the council, it’s just a study area,” Merced Mayor Mike Murphy said. “If you don’t want to be annexed, I don’t think you’re going to be annexed,” he added.
Study findings
Presented by Ron Sissem of EMC Planning Group, the study aimed to identify options and provide guidance for handling inevitable growth. Sissem said that area, which is unincorporated Merced County land, is established in the general plan as a chief growth destination, largely due to the UC Merced campus.
Although annexation has been the most explored possibility, it is just one of a few under consideration. “This is a study, not a proposal for annexation,” Sissem clarified.
He also discussed the possibility of using out of boundary service agreements, which operate through a contract between the city and developers. City infrastructure and services are extended to the property while keeping it on county land. This type of system is used by UC Merced.
It could work in tandem with annexation, addressing the concerns of rural residents who have no interest in living within city limits, Sissem said.
Connecting rural property owners to city water and sewer systems remain a key planning issue. “We need to consider some performance standards for how growth happens,” Sissem said. “We don’t want somebody hoarding limited sewer capacity, for example.”
Although a sewer master plan has been drafted, Sissem estimated a completed plan and available funds for north Merced is about five to seven years out.
Another factor is how annexing UC Merced would change the city. McBride noted incorporating the UC could strengthen student voices in city elections.
As students are now required to live on-campus through their second year, the UC’s growing student body would also add to the city’s population. This may require the city to reevaluate its council districts, McBride said.
An estimated 15,000 new residential units will be needed by 2050 to serve the city’s rising population. But growth is tempered by land capacity outweighing demand over the next 5-15 years, Sissem said.
Community input
An interest poll was sent in early January to registered voters and property owners within the study region. The poll asked whether those individuals would support annexation of their property under the assumption that related costs, like sewer and water hook-ups, are reasonable.
The poll also served to find whether there are geographic groupings of those in support or against, which could serve as guidelines for annexation boundaries, McBride said.
“A lot of the people who owned a lot of vacant land were the ones who said yes,” Planning Manager Kim Espinosa said.
Hook-up fees to city water and sewer systems at the expense of residents is a preeminent concern among locals.
Hillcrest residents said at the first public meeting in May that their own analyses showed extending water lines and other renovations could cost homeowners up to $50,000.
There is no overall cost estimate, which would include more associated fees than just the connection, yet. Basic connection costs for a home are about $6,400 for sewer and $8,400 for water, Espinosa said. Possibilities for different arrangements would not necessarily incur all costs onto homeowners, she said.
Residents who spoke at the meeting seemed skeptical those fees would be reasonable.
Espinosa said the city code does not put a time frame on hook-up requirements. Many residents who have been annexed for years are still on private wells and septic systems, she said.
Residents also feared for disruption of their tranquil existence as Merced’s rural areas get built up.
Diane Fuentas, a Hillcrest area resident, said she canvassed her neighborhood collecting signatures for a petition. Hillcrest, she said, does not want to be annexed.
“Our peaceful way of life, our independence from the city’s ever increasing rates on water, garbage and sewer service, plus all the traffic congestion that will be sure to come, are all at stake,” Fuentas said.
Life-long local and retired Merced High history teacher Mary Edwards Haygood was critical of the $400,000 study at the expense of residents who do not want to be annexed.
Haygood also worried that properties such as hers will depreciate as developers with extensive capital build in the area. She said she felt the interests of big developers and the UC are prioritized over long-term Merced residents.
“Most of my retirement is in my house, like a lot of people,” she said.
McBride said the next step is to put together the draft feasibility study, which will be presented to the Planning Commission and then City Council. A recommendation by the Planning Commission will likely come before council this summer, but would ultimately have to be approved by LAFCO.
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 12:08 PM.
