ANNEXATION

ANNEXATION. According to most scholars, the LOUISIANA PURCHASE was the largest and most important annexation of land by the United States since the formation of the original thirteen colonies. The region, purchased from France in 1803, was an ill-defined area including all of present-day Iowa and extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. It included the present state of Arkansas; portions of Colorado, the Dakotas, Kansas, Missouri, and Montana; most of Minnesota; and portions of Wyoming. Worried that he exceeded his constitutional rights, President Thomas Jefferson justified the purchase on the grounds of military need.

Locally, the City of Dubuque has used annexation to acquire land needed for city growth. Efforts at restoration and renovation of historic buildings did not provide sufficient space. In 1998 an annexation study reviewed fourteen areas. A voluntary annexation request for all or parts of a studied area could be made. Owners of at east 80% of the property targeted for annexation would be needed. The annexation of 700 areas to the west of Dubuque was challenged by the City of Asbury which questioned Dubuque's methods in obtaining property owner approval. In the fall of 2006 the Iowa Supreme Court sided with Dubuque and approved of the annexation. Although some land owners opposed the change, state law did not allow "islands" of non-annexed property. The annexation had been approved by 93% of the property owners. (1)

In 2006 an annexation study, the first since 1998 was commissioned at a cost of $24,500 by Bob Veenstra, of Veenstra and Kinim, Inc. of West Des Moines. The study did not make actual recommendations. It looked an where areas ranked to determine which appeared to be ore favorable or less favorable for consideration. The study involved 23,000 acres of land primarily south and west of the city limits. The study divided the land into 23 speculative areas and graded area based on level of development, costs to provide city services and location. To the north, the study involved Barony Woods and Deer Valley subdivisions as well as an area bracketed by Peru and John Deere roads and south of the JOHN DEERE DUBUQUE WORKS. To the south and southwest, the study focused on four sections from Key West to Barrington Lakes and north of Oakland Farms Road. (2)

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Source:

1. Kundert, Rob, "City of Dubuque Eyes Elbow Room," Telegraph Herald, December 13, 2006, p. 1A

2. Ibid.