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Politics & Government

Mooseheart Annexation Hits Snag, Batavia Officials Must Resolve Issues

The Community Development Committee at its meeting tonight will revisit the annexation agreement with Moose International.

An annexation agreement between Batavia and Mooseheart is not quite ready for approval yet.

City officials have pulled the plug on a June 6 Batavia City Council public hearing on the Annexation Agreement. Recent revisions to the draft agreement by city staff and Moose International have resulted in more issues to resolve, according to a city memo. 

City staff tonight will provide an update of the situation at the Community Development Committee meeting tonight. The public meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at , 100 N. Island Ave.

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Once further progress is made, another hearing date can be scheduled. To read our last full story on the annexation process, click .

Moose has introduced wording to the agreement that leaves open the possibility of disconnection from the plan. Moose officials could walk away if they are not pleased with Fox Metro's annexation terms to the sanitary district, or if Batavia and North Aurora cannot reach agreement on a water main interconnection across Mooseheart Road.

Find out what's happening in Bataviawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A disconnection clause and providing electrical service had been the major issues holding the agreement back from approval by the Committee. Those matters seemed to have been resolved at the Committe's May 10 meeting until further changes were made.

Disconnection would have an effect on land contribution to the Batavia Park and School Districts. Moose officials also have not submitted agreement letters from the Park District, the Batavia School District or the West Aurora School District, according to the memo.

These issues must be resolved before the City Council can hold a public hearing on the annexation agreement, which originally had been planned for June 6.

For the last two and half years, Batavia city officials and Moose International have worked on annexing 470 acres of the Mooseheart property. The charitable group plans to add commercial and high-density residential developments on the land to help support the Mooseheart orphanage and school.

In Other News

The Committee will also discuss downtown parking and prioritizing neighborhood areas for Streetscape improvements, as identified in the Downtown Streetscape Framework Plan. Landscape architecture firm Altamanu put the plan together with extensive feedback from city officials and residents. 

To read our last full update on the Streetscape plan, click .

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