Incorporation request returns to state board

The petition to incorporate Cypress Villages will again go before the state?s City Development Board Wednesday.

The Fairfield City Council and Jefferson County Board of Supervisors both discussed the feedback they would provide during meetings Monday.

?The nuts and bolts and the factual part of the argument do not come at this stage of the process,? assistant county attorney Pat McAvan informed the supervisors.

McAvan said past procedural issues ?have been ironed out,? and the most recent petition addresses the items outlined in the administrative rules.

He voiced concern about the supervisors? ability to appoint a representative to a commission should the petition advance to that stage. The commission is comprised of the City Development Board plus one resident of the area to be incorporated ? both of the people living in the area are ineligible to serve on the commission, as they are petitioners, McAvan explained.

?If there is no one that is willing or able to serve in the area, you can appoint someone who owns property in the area,? McAvan said. Developer Dan Walker and Joel and Joy Hirshberg own property in the subdivision located at the corner of Highway 1.

?I guess I?m concerned with our ability to comply with our obligation to appoint somebody because we just don?t have very many choices,? McAvan said. ?I don?t know that that?s a reason for the City Development Board not to move forward.?

The supervisors voted to appoint McAvan as their representative at the meeting. As he is unable to attend, he will draft a letter to the board.

Fairfield?s attorney John Morrissey intends to participate in the meeting via a conference call.

?I think probably our position on this is that this is probably a more complete petition than has been filed before,? Morrissey told the city council.

His concerns with the development continue to be its proximity to the Fairfield Municipal Airport. Morrissey said the green features of the subdivision do not sync with the airport.

For the complete article, see the Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.