Annexation is a problem many townships face as cities grow, creeping over their boundaries and absorbing the revenue that bordering land can provide - and it’s not about to end soon.
East Lansing could soon annex 1,056 acres of land along Chandler Road in Bath Township after two students filed petitions in Clinton County for the annexation.
The students are residents of Melrose Communities, 16789 Chandler Road, and say they worry the township’s emergency personnel can’t support their complex.
So they want East Lansing to take over the land, further expanding the city’s north border.
The students have some legitimate concerns regarding safety - it is possible that Bath Township fire and police officials might not be able to reach the area as quickly as East Lansing providers, or that they simply might not have the resources to cover the very edge of the township.
But no proof of this has been shown.
It is just as likely area residents have nothing to worry about, as developers probably would not have placed their buildings in an area that lacks adequate fire and police coverage - it’s not just a concern of safety, it’s also good business.
Without a more in-depth discussion and reasoning for the possible annexation, such a move would appear to be unnecessary.
It would be nice for the city to have the tax dollars associated with those developments, but for that to happen would mean that the revenue would be stripped from Bath Township.
And although township apartment residents don’t have the same access to the East Lansing Aquatics Center, the East Lansing Public Library or other city conveniences as city residents, they should be aware of that when moving.
Of course, with the increase of developments on East Lansing’s northern border, the city does need to be actively involved in planning for the entire area’s growth. But annexation might not be the best way to go about it.
Such a move simply makes the city look greedy - even if Bath Township and East Lansing officials work out a land-sharing deal for the area.
