Dexter area residents who would like to express their opinions on the village’s petition to become a home rule city should come out to the State Boundary Commission’s public hearing Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Dexter District Library.

According to information from the state, people may comment on: population, population density, land area and land uses, assessed valuation, topography, natural boundaries and drainage basins, the past and probable future urban growth, including population increase and business, commercial and industrial development in the area, need for organized community services, the present cost and adequacy of governmental services, the probable future needs for services, the practicability of supplying such services, the probable effect of alternative courses of action on the cost and adequacy of services, the probable increase in taxes relation to the benefits expected to accrue and the financial ability of the municipality to maintain urban type uses.”

In addition, people have until Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. to submit comments in writing to the state and any correspondence must be identified by the docket No. #10-I-2. Written comments can be sent to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, State Boundary Commission, Bureau of Construction Codes, P.O. Box 30254, Lansing, MI 48909 or via email to obrienk@michigan.gov.

Village and Webster Township officials are expected to ask the state to consider a new boundary, one that’s been modified since the state found a boundary “legally sufficient.” The new boundary does not include Gordon Hall, that’s in Webster Township, or the back half of Mill Creek Sporting Goods that’s in Scio Township.

Both Webster Township and the Dexter Area Historical Society have voiced objections to the inclusion of Gordon Hall in the proposed boundaries. The land is part of a 425 agreement between the village and Webster Township, which says that if the village becomes a city, it is responsible for paying taxes to the township for 12 years on the property.

Village and township officials worked together to draw a new boundary, which they hope will meet both the state standards and is mutually agreeable to all the groups involved. They plan to jointly propose it at the public hearing. See what it looks like here: Updated Boundary Map[1].pdf

On Nov. 2, village officials met with Webster Township Supervisor John Kingsley and Kevin O’Brien, a member of the boundary commission staff, to discuss a boundary that includes only a small portion of the Gordon Hall property and excludes the Mill Creek Sport Center property.

To protect its interests, Webster Township filed an appeal of the boundaries that the state found “legally sufficient,” with the Ingham County Court. Even though the sides are working toward a mutually agreeable boundary, the township had only 21 days to file an appeal in the courts, and has agreed to not pursue the suit if the state agrees to the new boundaries.

The latest boundary has a small piece of touching area, something that might not appeal to the state.

“The state has to decide if they think that’s a problem but the state surveyor said they didn’t think it would be,” Dexter Village President Shawn Keough said previously.

Ultimately, the state will make the decision of what the new city boundary will be following the public hearing.

For a complete history of the village’s steps toward cityhood, click here.

Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Dexter stories, visit our Dexter page.