Doughnut holes

Wendell Town Commissioners made it abundantly clear last night that they were uninterested in annexing property that leaves out some of the property, yet brings the rest into the town limits.

The Anderson family heirs were asking to do just that last night. They want to annex a big chunk of their property on Battle Bridge Road, but they are not asking to annex a nine-acre section in the center of the property where the old home place sits.

David Anderson, one of the heirs, has recently returned to this area from California and he told the Planning Board a couple weeks ago that he wants to restore the homeplace, which dates to the 1830s, but to do it, he needs the cash that would come from developing the rest of the property.

Commissioner Ronald Thompson correctly pointed out last night that annexing the section with the homeplace along with the rest of the property wouldn't prevent Anderson from doing just what he wants.

David Lasley, the Anderson family's representative, said his clients had hoped to be able to restore the property without the undue burden of additional taxes.

In other words, they don't want to pay town taxes.

Lasley was sent away from last night's meeting with a clear message for his clients. Whether they will accept the board's position remains to be seen. The matter was delayed until later this month to give the family time to consider the town's position.

But the Anderson issue aside, the idea of doughnut holes in the town limits is an interesting one.

A review of town GIS maps, shows eight existing doughtnut holes, some as small as a single lot. Two or three other places are nearly complete doughnut holes.

So, it's not unprecedented that the town would allow such an annexation, but this board, at least, seems pretty set on not letting it happen again.