Piqua to annex portions of Concord Township

Historic annexation to come after agreement is set between Piqua and Concord Township

The 32 acre parcel on the west side of Interstate 75, wedged between Exit 78 and the Upper Valley Medical Center

Later this week, the Piqua City Commission will discuss and likely adopt a new annexation agreement between the City and Concord Township. The 32 acre annexation opens up new opportunities for development in Piqua and will be one of the first annexations the City will have in Concord Township. The 32 acre parcel is located just west of Interstate 75 and is between the Upper Valley Medical Center and the Interstate’s Exit 78.

This annexation agreement outlines the framework for the annexation of the 32 acres from Concord Township into the City of Piqua, addressing various aspects of governance, service provision, and financial considerations.

As part of this agreement, the only parcel that will be annexed is the parcel described above. After the agreement is agreed upon, the City of Piqua will begin annexation proceedings with the Board of County Commission, using the Expedited Type I process. Upon annexation, the land will no longer be considered part of Concord Township and will be entirely within the City of Piqua.

The City of Piqua commits to extending its full range of municipal services to the newly annexed territories, including police protection, fire protection, emergency medical services, and various public works services. This commitment ensures that any land developed in the annexed areas will receive the same level of service as existing city residents.

The agreement also addresses infrastructure development, particularly focusing on water and sewer services. The city agrees to extend these utilities to the annexed areas, which is often a significant factor in promoting development. However, the agreement specifies that property owners will be responsible for tap-in fees and assessments related to these utility extensions, which is a common practice to offset the substantial costs associated with infrastructure expansion.

The financial aspects of the agreement are designed to protect the township. One notable provision is the city's commitment to sharing of property tax revenues with Concord Township for a period of 12 years following each annexation. This revenue-sharing arrangement allocates a declining percentage of tax revenues from the annexed areas to the township, serves as a transitional measure to mitigate the financial impact on the township due to the loss of territory and associated tax base.

This annexation agreement has significant long-term implications for both the City of Piqua and Concord Township. For Piqua, it provides a framework for controlled expansion, potentially increasing its tax base, population, and economic opportunities. The phased approach allows the city to manage growth sustainably, aligning infrastructure development with annexation progress. For Concord Township, while the agreement results in a reduction of its territory over time, the revenue-sharing provisions and collaborative economic development efforts provide financial safeguards and opportunities for continued growth along with more opportunities for the township to work with the City of Piqua moving forward.

One interesting aspect of this agreement is that for Troy, it is becoming more, and more clear is that the community, at least when it comes to development potential, is becoming landlocked. This particular annexation may open the door for additional annexations along Exit 78 and the northern portion of Experiment Farm Road to occur in the City of Piqua, which was always been eyed by both communities as a potential area for commercial and industrial development.

One of the most interesting discussions from last week’s At-Large Council Roundtable was the discussion that economic development in Troy, while a priority, is no longer focused on industrial job creation, as it has been practiced in this town for decades, but is becoming more based on tourism. This publication touched on that topic in a previous edition:

The sad reality is that as Troy becomes more and more landlocked, the potential for Troy to attract industrial development will become more limited. Perhaps our community has fewer choices to grow and tourism is one of the few growth strategies left on the table.

What Do You Think?

How do you feel about the annexations of Piqua into Concord Township? Is it something you thought you would ever see? Is Piqua setting themselves up to have a stronger development potential than Troy? Our paid subscribers are more than welcome to leave their ideas and insights in the comment thread!

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