Extraterritorial zoning is the sort of topic that makes the eyes of most casual observers of local news glaze over. The ETZ creation process is complex and, quite frankly, a little hard for some people to comprehend.
But ETZ is an important topic for communities like Monroe that are looking to grow their economic base. In communities such as Monroe, the drawing of an ETZ ordinance is made difficult by the competing interests of commercial development and rural preservation.
Last week, after more than two and a half years of work, that conflict proved too much to overcome for the Joint ETZ Committee of the City of Monroe and Town of Monroe. The committee voted 4-0 (with one member absent and another not voting) to abandon its efforts to create a zoning ordinance. Zoning created by an interim ordinance will expire May 31, and the committee will disband.
While the resolution certainly is frustrating for the City of Monroe - Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said he was "disappointed in the action" - it had become clear the Town of Monroe simply wasn't interested in agreeing to ETZ terms. And for ETZ to work, state law requires the agreement of both the city and township.
The process worked the way it's supposed to, albeit excruciatingly slow.
Simply put, ETZ creates a development plan for land extending outside a city's or village's limits. In this case, an ordinance would have rezoned property lying about three-quarters of a mile around the boundary of the City of Monroe into commercial, highway and agricultural transition zones.
The city's interest in ETZ is obvious - it gives the municipality much more flexibility to develop commercial projects outside but very near its boundaries without having to go through an annexation and negotiation with the township. The benefits for townships sometimes are less obvious, which was apparent in the reactions of some township property owners after last week's vote.
"We don't need a zone," said Nancy Altmann. She and her husband Harley own 116 acres of land zoned agriculture that would have been rezoned for commercial use.
"They've chewed us up enough times," said Harley. "I'm glad (the vote) went the way it did. I want it to not ever change, if it doesn't have to. Why can't it stay agricultural?"
Because the attempt to establish an ETZ ordinance failed, state law requires the city to wait another two years before making another attempt. Hopefully, city and town leaders will continue to communicate during that time, to determine if there are ways to make an ETZ ordinance work in the future. But any solution will have to come with property owners' blessing - a tall task, indeed. Communication is key if there is to be any possibility of success.
Having a commercial zone outside of the city limits would be beneficial to the City of Monroe as it continues to pursue economic development projects. But that benefit must not come at an expanse unwanted by township property owners. Clearly, the city has more work and convincing to do.
But ETZ is an important topic for communities like Monroe that are looking to grow their economic base. In communities such as Monroe, the drawing of an ETZ ordinance is made difficult by the competing interests of commercial development and rural preservation.
Last week, after more than two and a half years of work, that conflict proved too much to overcome for the Joint ETZ Committee of the City of Monroe and Town of Monroe. The committee voted 4-0 (with one member absent and another not voting) to abandon its efforts to create a zoning ordinance. Zoning created by an interim ordinance will expire May 31, and the committee will disband.
While the resolution certainly is frustrating for the City of Monroe - Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said he was "disappointed in the action" - it had become clear the Town of Monroe simply wasn't interested in agreeing to ETZ terms. And for ETZ to work, state law requires the agreement of both the city and township.
The process worked the way it's supposed to, albeit excruciatingly slow.
Simply put, ETZ creates a development plan for land extending outside a city's or village's limits. In this case, an ordinance would have rezoned property lying about three-quarters of a mile around the boundary of the City of Monroe into commercial, highway and agricultural transition zones.
The city's interest in ETZ is obvious - it gives the municipality much more flexibility to develop commercial projects outside but very near its boundaries without having to go through an annexation and negotiation with the township. The benefits for townships sometimes are less obvious, which was apparent in the reactions of some township property owners after last week's vote.
"We don't need a zone," said Nancy Altmann. She and her husband Harley own 116 acres of land zoned agriculture that would have been rezoned for commercial use.
"They've chewed us up enough times," said Harley. "I'm glad (the vote) went the way it did. I want it to not ever change, if it doesn't have to. Why can't it stay agricultural?"
Because the attempt to establish an ETZ ordinance failed, state law requires the city to wait another two years before making another attempt. Hopefully, city and town leaders will continue to communicate during that time, to determine if there are ways to make an ETZ ordinance work in the future. But any solution will have to come with property owners' blessing - a tall task, indeed. Communication is key if there is to be any possibility of success.
Having a commercial zone outside of the city limits would be beneficial to the City of Monroe as it continues to pursue economic development projects. But that benefit must not come at an expanse unwanted by township property owners. Clearly, the city has more work and convincing to do.
