Wasson, property owners explain their intent; mayor sees Gentry merger and property grabs as reason

SPRINGTOWN -- At its April 14 meeting, the request of five property owners to have their lands annexed into Springtown failed to be approved by the Springtown Council.

Shane Bauman, the town's treasurer and recorder, explained that action by email: "The Springtown voluntary annexation vote was split 2-2. A non-resident landholder solicited several households just outside of Springtown's western boundary to apply for voluntary annexation into Springtown. When spoken with, these residents expressed desire to expand Springtown's western border closer to the town of Gentry, to ultimately have Springtown annexed by Gentry. During the town meeting, the non-resident landholder verified that he felt annexation of Springtown by Gentry was ultimately in Springtown's future and in Springtown's best interests.

"After speaking to a majority of the registered voters in Springtown, opposition to the Springtown annexation felt that adding new town residents who were actively interested in ultimately having Springtown annexed by another town was not in the best interests of the town of Springtown."

At the April meeting, Councilwomen Terri Glenn and Karee Barrett voted against the annexation. Council members Linda Taylor and Don Jech voted in favor of approving the annexation. Council member Chuck Guess was unable to be present.

John Wasson, longtime UCLA professor of Los Angeles, Calif., and formerly of the community of Springtown, one of the five land owners, said he wanted to annex his land into Springtown because of his love and concern for Flint Creek.

Wasson was the only petitioner who would not have become a permanent resident of Springtown if the petition was approved, though he does own a house in the town.

"I want to preserve the beauty of Flint Creek," Wasson told the Eagle Observer on April 15, explaining that he thought annexing his land would help preserve the pristine beauty of the creek and prevent a developer from coming in someday and building a housing development and golf course along the creek.

Wasson said he also worked together with other property owners along the creek to petition for annexation with the preservation of Springtown's history and the beauty of Flint Creek in mind.

Mary Droho, who, along with her husband Ed Balluck, owns property along the west side of Flint Creek, said she and her husband wanted to be a part of the Springtown community and work to make it better place. She too told the Eagle Observer of her desire to preserve Flint Creek.

"We wanted to be a part of the Springtown community," Droho said, "and we wanted to preserve the creek."

Al Lemke, another of the residents who petitioned to have his land annexed into Springtown, told the Eagle Observer he did so because he desired to have the fire protection and trash services available to town residents and because he was supportive of the plans for a town walking trail.

"I feel like having more people would be for the good of Springtown," Lemke said, adding that he thought all who wanted to be annexed into the town were wanting "the best for the community."

According to Wasson, Lemke and Droho, Preston Barrett, Springtown's mayor, said in the April 14 meeting that the ultimate purpose of the annexation petition was to have Springtown annexed into Gentry.

"The mayor brought this up like it was some big deal," Al Lemke said. "I don't know where he got it from. It was an outlandish statement to make. Gentry is two miles away!"

Droho too said the mayor had suggested this and not her.

Wasson said he realized the day could come when Springtown becomes a part of Gentry but that would be "decades away," he said. He told the Eagle Observer his goal was not to somehow draw Springtown to be annexed by Gentry. He desired the council to act favorably on the petition before it now and make his land a part of Springtown.

After the May meeting, Mayor Preston Barrett said he had informally talked with the majority of voters who cast ballots in the last election and they were not supportive of taking in the additional properties and residents because at least a portion of the residents petitioning for annexation were supportive of Springtown merging with Gentry and because Springtown residents wished to keep the town's identity and have its own government rather than ending up being a small minority in Gentry someday.

Barrett pointed out that, if the land of all the petitioners was accepted, the borders of Gentry and Springtown would be much closer than two miles, making the fears of some Springtown residents more probable than some have indicated.

Both Mayor Barrett and his wife Karee, a member of the council, said they were all for preserving Flint Creek, but they did not wish to do it at the expense of the rights of the property owners who own land along the creek. They said property owners should not have to worry about their property being taken from them or the quietness and the tranquility of the town being changed in an effort to preserve the creek, the spring or to provide public walking trails in the historic town.

General News on 07/22/2015