The Jacquemin and Wesner properties lie on the west side of Hyland Croy Road, north of Weldon Road between Hyland Croy and U.S. 33, north of Weldon Road, in Jerome Township.
(Marysville Journal-Tribune illustration)
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The scheduled annexation hearing for a much-coveted piece of ground in southeast Union County has been canceled.
Attorney Aaron Underhill, who represents the property owners, recently submitted a letter to the Union County Commissioners withdrawing the annexation request and asking the commissioners to cancel an annexation hearing, scheduled for next week, to determine the future of the Wesner and Jacquemin properties. The properties, which lie on the west side of Hyland Croy Road, north of Weldon Road between Hyland Croy and U.S. 33 are currently in Jerome Township. If the application had been completed, they would have become part of Dublin.
While Underhill’s letter did not give details about why the Wesners and Jacquemins wanted to withdraw the request, Jerome Township Trustee Ron Rhodes said the township and developers are finalizing an agreement that would allow the property to stay in the township, with a portion of the future taxes on the property to be used for infrastructure improvements in the area.
Additionally, he said Schottenstein is working on a final development plan for the site.
Rhodes said township officials are, “very pleased” the land and its future potential revenue could be staying in the township. He said township officials are “satisfied” with the way negotiations are occurring and is confident an agreement will be reached.
Dublin spokesperson Sue Burness said officials there, “are still assessing the situation now.”
Even so, Burness hinted that Dublin officials might not be ready to concede the area.
“We will continue to engage our residents about their concerns for that area and will represent them in this matter.”
The Jacquemin and Wesner properties were rezoned in 2015 to accommodate a mixed-use development in Jerome Township. At the time, the Jacquemins and developers for the project repeatedly said they did not want to annex into Dublin.
Dublin officials and residents worked to stop the rezoning process and have since stalled the project saying it does not fit with their plans for the area.
Currently Marysville has the right to provide water and sewer service to the area. Dublin has attempted a variety of legal maneuvers to be named the service provider for the area, though each time Marysville’s right to provide water and sewer has been upheld.
Marysville City Manager Terry Emery said Marysville is “just a service provider in this.” He said that if the property remains in Jerome Township, the city will provide water and water services.
In December, the City of Dublin asked Marysville to surrender water rights to the entire 300 acres north of Post Road and east of U.S. 33, in exchange for a promise that Dublin would not annex any more of Union County.
Dublin officials passed a first reading of the plan, but have since tabled the ordinance.
In January, Underhill filed a petition to annex 116.1 acres from Jerome Township into the city of Dublin.
The application was eventually withdrawn due to a technical issue and refilled the next day.
The commissioners held the hearing on Gorden property annexation in May. The Gorden property lies on the north east side of the intersection of Post and Hyland Croy roads. Eventually the property was approved for movement out of Jerome Township and into Dublin.
The commissioners had also scheduled a hearing on the Jacquemin and Wesner properties, but agreed to continue the hearing until July 11 at the request of Underhill as well as Jerome Township and the city of Dublin.
At the time, Underhill said the parties involved wanted more time, “to try to find a win-win.”
Jerome Township is moving forward with plans to challenge the commissioners’ decision on the Gorden property annexation.