Modest Proposal #5 / Memo to the “Thought Leader” Faithful
Date: 07/25/2023
Subject: Annexation
From: The Memo Annex
Most of Kensington agrees they would like to see our Police Department located in Kensington. The dilemma is how can we make that a reality and not bankrupt the Kensington Police Protection & Community Services District. Heaven forbid!
Could annexation be our salvation?
No, not the feared annexation plan that has been brought up countless times in the past where one day the dreaded El Cerrito annexes our bucolic hillside hamlet to gain our precious tax dollars. Then our sovereign Kensington would be no more…perish the thought.
Why not jump out front and turn the annexation game around? The Kensington Fire Protection District could launch a campaign to annex the small piece of El Cerrito’s land that the temporary fire station now occupies. The parcel sits a few feet from El Cerrito’s southeastern border with Kensington and the line at the Unitarian Church property already has a bump-out into our sovereign hamlet.
When the Fire Department vacates the temporary site and returns to the newly remodeled Public Safety Building the Kensington Police Department can probably move to the vacant site. With the utilities, communications and grading/paving already established the KPD just has to set up their modular building on the site. For the budget minded taxpayers among us it offers an attractive cost-effective arrangement.
Keeping in mind annexation is a legal process whereby a city or village may acquire a property in an unincorporated area or township, there could be some small wrinkles in the process. With the KFD already occupying the site our legal stars could be in alignment to make it happen. Besides, isn’t the dreaded El Cerrito always looking for ways to extract money from our serene hillside enclave. Anyone know a good lawyer?
It would be a cost saving solution until the KPPCSD could get community backing to build a permanent home for the KPD on property the district already owns at the edge of the park along Arlington Avenue. Until the day the park originalists start thinking about the safety needs of all Kensington, we will have to make do with the limited choices we have now. (Sigh…)
Hold the litigation and pass the boundary line stakes! Can I get a survey?
“Love thy neighbor, yet don’t pull down your hedge.” (Benjamin Franklin)
Note: Satire alert, beware of “thought leaders” attempting to quickly fix messy situations.