By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Less than three months after winning the rights to annex 2,500 acres of the Gravel Ridge community over Jacksonville, Sherwood is considering giving about 68 acres of the land to Jacksonville.
“We’ll be happy to have it and work with the developer,” said Jay Whisker, Jacksonville city administrator, adding that Sherwood has not approached them yet about the acreage.
The acreage, known as Lake Lorean, near Fears Lake Subdivision and Northlake, is pretty much undesirable and worthless to Sherwood, but to monitor and patrol the area could be costly to the city.
Jack Wilson, the developer who owns the land, told the Sherwood council it would be better suited to be part of Jacksonville.
He said the north shoreline where housing lots are located are within the Jacksonville city limits, but the moment you step into the lake you are in Sherwood.
He also told the council that the housing lots themselves extend into the lake, meaning the two cities would split responsibilities for the lots. Jacksonville would be responsible for the portion on dry land and Sherwood for that part in the lake.
The southern end of the lake goes into Kellogg Creek and does not reach Sherwood’s Indianhead Subdivision, according to Whisker.
“If something were to happen in the lake, it would be Sherwood’s responsibility,” Wilson said.
Alderman Becki Vassar quipped, “We don’t have any patrol boats do we?”
Wilson was not asking the council for a decision, but making them aware of the situation and suggesting they de-annex the area.
City attorney Stephen Cobb told the council we would research the situation.
“I don’t think we can de-annex the acreage, but we can turn it over in an agreement with Jacksonville,” he said.
