Chelsea continues calculated growth

The City of Chelsea is growing.

Based on 2016 U.S. Census data, it was the second-fastest growing city with a population of more than 10,000 in the state, seeing a 21.19 percent increase in population since 2010. This increase also made Chelsea the fastest growing city in Shelby County.

In addition to population growth and an increase in building permits — while 133 were requested between 2012-15, nearly 200 had been requested in 2016 alone — the city has been working to annex in more properties.

Scott Weygand, a member of the Chelsea City Council and former member of the Chelsea Planning and Zoning Commission, has headed up the efforts to annex properties into the city. Since Weygand, the current City Council and Mayor Tony Picklesimer took office in October 2016, the city has annexed in more than 132 acres of property, including residential and business properties. 

“As far as annexation goes, there’s a couple things you have to factor in,” Weygand said. “Since our city kind of looks like Swiss cheese, filling in the holes is where I’ve started, and trying to get those gaps in [the city].”

Starting off by filling in those holes, which are typically properties in unincorporated Shelby County, has its benefits, Weygand said, because he already knows those properties are in the “Chelsea fire zone” and within the boundaries of Chelsea Fire and Rescue’s coverage area.

“As far as going outside and expanding the footprint to make Chelsea wider, you’ve got to factor in your fire coverage, you’ve got to factor in several other things, to make sure not only do you just pull them in, but you can service them and do the things a city is supposed to do,” Weygand said.

Since taking office, Weygand said, he has worked to reach out to and communicate with properties that are contiguous with the city of Chelsea, meaning they border the city on at least one side.

“If somebody wants to do it and it makes sense for them and it makes sense for the city, we’re certainly open to it,” he said. 

When a property is annexed into the city, the property owner receives all city services including fire coverage. Some property owners have to pay fire dues, Weygand said, if they are within the coverage area but outside of the city limits. 

“The main reason people are coming in is Chelsea is up and coming, it’s helping property values, and you don’t have to pay fire dues once you’re in the city limits,” Weygand said. Weygand added that some people want to become an official part of the city in order to be able to vote in elections. They live close to the city and spend time in Chelsea, he said, and want to be able to make their voices heard.

And while property owners can see advantages to being annexed into the city, the city also benefits from having more residents.

“The main benefits for the city are population growth,” Weygand said. “Because with population growth, that’s when we become more attractive to businesses and national brands. As our population grows, we’re going to have more interest [from] companies wanting to come into our city.”

For now, Weygand and other council members are starting annexation conversations with property owners they know can come into the city. And as more properties are annexes, the possibility of annexation opens up for other properties.

“I’m definitely looking forward to getting more people to annex their properties in,” Weygand said.