Residents of Berkeley Village, a community of about 60 townhomes east of downtown Avondale Estates, have inquired about getting annexed into the city.
Commissioners discussed the possibility during a recent work session, and whether or not additional services are needed. After the meeting Mayor Jonathan Elmore said he believed the city might have to add a public works employee but not an extra police officer.
The next step is for Berkeley Village to submit a petition via the 60 percent method. That is, petitioners favoring annexation have to own at least 60 percent of the property, and 60 percent of the resident electors in Berkeley have to sign.
Elmore said that after the petition is submitted the city has one year to verify signatures. But since Berkeley Village has only 100 to 120 people verification shouldn’t take nearly that long. After that a public hearing is required followed by commissioners approving an ordinance for annexation.
Avondale Estates’ last annexation was the Stratford Green neighborhood of 154 townhomes and 400 residents, which became official Dec. 31, 2014.
So far the news regarding large-scale annexation remains quiet. The proposed city of Greenhaven includes Forrest Hills, Decatur Terrace and Katie Kerr, neighborhoods also on Avondale’s proposed annexation map.
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