LAYTON -- The city's official boundary is about to get a little bigger.
The city council recently voted to begin the process of annexing approximately 48.77 acres east of Fairfield Road, north of Mutton Hollow Road and west of Boynton Road.
The area has been mostly vacant and occasionally used, only for agricultural purposes. Because it had not been developed, it never became part of Layton city and was left as unincorporated Davis County.
Now, because it is going to be developed into an urban area featuring single-family homes, it cannot stay as an unincorporated area of the county. State law requires a property owner to seek annexation to a city when developing the property.
"It's a good policy, because cities are the groups that provide municipal services -- police, fire protection, utilities -- and so to have the development in the city is the best approach," said Bill Wright, Layton community and economic development director.
The property is just east of the proposed Fairfield Estates at Muddy Lane Subdivision, which will connect to Fairfield Road at approximately 325 South.
The eastern edge of the property has frontage on Boynton Road. Holmes Creek borders the annexation area at the northeastern edge of the property.
The property was also within Mutton Hollow Township, an entity that enabled the property owners to give input to the county about planning and development issues.
With the property part of Layton city, the property is no longer part of the township.
As the area officially becomes part of Layton, it will help the city define where its land ends.
"It certainly helps establish our southern boundary there, especially with property that had not ever developed," Wright said.
The annexation area is also in an area considered to be a peninsula of unincorporated Davis County, surrounded on three sides by Layton city. Annexing the 48.77 acres will leave an island of unincorporated county completely surrounded by Layton. State annexation law allows the island to be created if the annexation reduces the size of an existing unincorporated peninsula.
That island, which City Planner Peter Matson said is about 30 acres, will stay in unincorporated Davis County until it gets developed as well.
"Obviously, when it develops, it will come into Layton city," Wright said. "That will be the only way it ever develops."
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