Owner Billings Clinic submitted a petition to annex land to the City of Billings under Section 7-2-4600, MCA. The subject property is a parcel totaling about 80 acres. The property is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Shiloh Road and Broadwater Avenue and is used for agricultural production at this time. The property owner is requesting annexation in order to obtain City services for development of the property in the future. The property is currently zoned Agriculture Open-Space and the Billings Clinic has applied for a zone change running concurrently with this annexation request to rezone the property to Planned Development with an underlying zoning of Community Commercial with special provisions for medical services, complementary uses, and residential development.

The property is located within the five-year annexation area of the City's Limits of Annexation Map and appears to meet many of the City's criteria in its Annexation Policy. A detailed review and analysis of the Annexation Policy criteria will be provided in the Council's public hearing memo. The City Council’s policy is to consider annexations at two separate Council meetings. At the first meeting, the Council acknowledges receipt of a petition and sets a public hearing date. At the second meeting, the Council conducts the hearing and decides if it will annex the property. The zone change is running through the process and a public hearing and action on it will follow the annexation action by the City Council at its January 26 meeting. 

Section 7-2-4600, MCA, allows owners of more than 50% of the property to petition the City for annexation. The only alternative that is consistent with City Council policy is to acknowledge receipt of the petition and set a public hearing date.

Analysis by City staff of how City services may be provided to this property and a recommendation on the annexation will be prepared and presented at the public hearing.

Staff recommends that the City Council acknowledge receipt of the annexation petition and schedule a public hearing for January 26, 2015 to consider annexing this property.