San Tan Valley just got a little bit smaller.
On Wednesday, March 7th, the Queen Creek Town Council voted to accept the “Ironwood Crossing Annexation”, which includes both residential and commercial properties covering 1,485 acres.
The item which was listed on the council’s consent agenda read:
Consideration and possible approval of Ordinance 657-18, (Case P17-0144) “Ironwood Crossing Annexation”, a proposed annexation of numerous parcels totaling approximately 1,485 acres, generally located between Germann and Ocotillo Roads; and Meridian Road and Ironwood Drive (Road).
Ironwood Crossing Annexation committee members, Nancie Naylor and Beth Riley, spoke during the December 6, 2017 council meeting’s public hearing which kicked off the signature collection process for the effort.
On February 22, 2018, the annexation committee announced that they had collected the necessary signatures (50% + 1 property owners & 50% + $1 assessed value). A post on their website read:
Update 02-22-18
Hey Ironwood Crossing!! It is with GREAT PRIDE that the Ironwood Crossing Annexation Committee announces that we are DONE with the petition drive. It was successful, and we are moving on to the final step in the annexation process!!
On Wednesday, March 7th, at the QC Town Council meeting, the council will vote to accept us into the Town of Queen Creek! This will start the 30-day period where the annexation can be protested (Only if they are able to find something incorrect with our application and/or the petition signatures.)
If nobody protests the annexation, we will officially become part of Queen Creek on Monday, April 9th, at 8am!
If our annexation is protested during that 30-day waiting period, the clock will stop while the case goes to court. That could take approximately 5 months, however, even if STV were to incorporate in the meantime, we would still go back to the original date of April 9th to annex.
Congratulations to everyone who supported the annexation efforts and signed the petition! You rock!! We’ll keep you updated on the progress as it happens!
Now that the QC Council has approved the annexation, there is a 30-day waiting period. If no challenges to the annexation are filed, all parcels included in the annexation (numerous parcels between Meridian and Ocotillo to Ironwood and Germann) will become part of the Town of Queen Creek on April 9, 2018.
A public hearing for another annexation into the Town of Queen Creek was also held at the March 7, 2018 council meeting. The hearing was for 23 acres located at the southwest corner of Ellsworth & Empire. No one spoke in favor of or in opposition to the annexation. The applicant can begin collecting signatures to annex into Queen Creek March 14, 2018.
Both the March 21, 2018 and April 23, 2018 agendas include tentative motions to approve the petitions.
If successful, this will be the fourth annexation of San Tan Valley property, by the Town of Queen Creek in less than one year.