What is Annexation, anyway? By Martin Fitts, AICP
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With contributions by Joann Skaria, AICP
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alm Beach Gardens has long been a city of choice for families moving to Martin Pitts, AICP south Florida. Over the years, many local residents have also chosen to join the City through annexation. The City has not only experienced significant growth in residential development, allowing new residents a variety of housing options, but also commercial and office development, including the Alton Town Center and the Florida Power and Light campus. Recreational facilities, including the North County Gardens District Park and the newly expanded Sandhill Crane Golf Club, provide residents with numerous high-quality options to play, making the City the ideal location to live, work, learn, shop, and play. You may have heard that the City of Palm Beach Gardens is seeking to annex five areas in the northeast area of the City. This process, known as a Referendum Annexation, allows the residents to vote on whether they want to annex into the City or not. If the majority of voters choose to annex into the City, the referendum passes. If the majority choose not to annex, then the referendum fails. In 2016 and 2017, voters in the Carleton Oaks, Osprey Isles, and Bay Hill Estates communities chose to join the City through Referendum Annexations on the west side of the City. However, this is not the only method of annexation. 14
SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens
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Annexation is governed by Chapter 171, Florida Statutes, which details three methods of annexation. The first is the Referendum Annexation Process proposed by the City for the five areas to the northeast. The second is through an Interlocal Agreement with Palm Beach County to take over the provision of public services to a given annexation area. This method is limited to areas that are defined as an “enclave”. The third method is a Voluntary Annexation in which all property owners of a given area request to annex into the City. This is the most frequent method of annexation in the City. Annexation also allowed the City to eliminate gaps in service and provide for logical municipal boundaries. Recently, Palm Beach Gardens completed two successful Voluntary Annexations. Another is on the horizon. The first is an annexation along western Northlake Boulevard consisting of over 300 acres of land on either side of Northlake Boulevard, adjacent to the Avenir Development. The area includes the Pierce Hammock Elementary School campus, two unbuilt commercial developments approved in the County, a cellular tower, and other vacant parcels. At the western entrance of the City, annexation of the parcels allows the City to guide the growth and provide consistent service along the Northlake Boulevard corridor. [MAP 1]
