On Wednesday, August 28 at 6 PM there will be a meeting of the Sebastian City Council where they will decide if the city will annex 1100 acres. Currently, this land is farmland, though when it is annexed the city can change this zoning and land use to something different.
This process has moved very quickly and there are unanswered questions. The IRNA’s position is that the city needs to codify their positions with an annexation agreement to protect their rights and the character of the city.
Annexation agreements are a way for both parties, the city and those involved with the land proposed to be annexed, to acknowledge a complicated process and agree on various specifics going forward. Such agreements could potentially protect environmentally sensitive areas such as the Lagoon and forbid the installation of septic tanks and well water, provide for preserving green space and address issues such as traffic and school impacts.
This area is not serviced by County Water nor Sewer and is a major problem if the land is to be annexed into Sebastian. The City needs to work with the County to resolve this problem and it could be accomplished by becoming a party to an annexation agreement or with the forming of an interlocal agreement between Sebastian and Indian River County.
There is a right way and a wrong way to annex land into a city. Doing it the wrong way could result in long and divisive legal fights. By addressing the concerns of the community now, the city could save themselves great difficulty in the future.
For more information on the annexation and some of the concerns of community groups, click here.
Please attend the meeting or send your concerns to Sebastian City Council by emailing to jwilliams@cityofsebastian.org.
This issue is very important for the future of Sebastian and the County and we encourage you to take it very seriously. Please feel free to share the graphic via email or social media to let your friends and neighbors know about the important meeting this Wednesday.
Thank you for your attention.