Published Wednesday, September 01, 2010 12:04 AM

Wellborn group looking for deal after being denied hearing

By CASSIE SMITH
cassie.smith@theeagle.com

A group of Wellborn residents pursuing efforts to form their own city said Tuesday that they are ready to work toward some sort of an agreement with the city of College Station after the Texas Supreme Court declined to intervene.

The leader of the group Citizens for Wellborn said she was disappointed that the state's highest court refused to hear arguments about whether the city was required to put Wellborn's incorporation plans on the November ballot.

A three-judge appellate court ruled last month that the city didn't have to act on a petition signed by 1,500 College Station residents.

Many Wellborn residents are concerned that College Station plans to annex the community in the next 10 years, and they have been pushing to incorporate as a preventive measure. Because Wellborn is in College Station's extraterritorial jurisdiction, the city has some control over the area, including whether to allow a vote on incorporation.

Citizens for Wellborn President Jane Cohen said the group will review its options but plans to take the city up on an offer to hold a joint meeting -- possibly this month -- to discuss the next step.

"We do want to come to a win-win," she said. "We think it's important this 140-year-old Wellborn community not be lost."

Mayor Nancy Berry said the City Council would be ready to meet with the group as soon as the meeting could be scheduled. Berry said she has an open mind about the discussions.

"I have nothing that I want to put on the table. I don't want to take anything off," she said.

Berry said she wants to hear the group's concerns and work toward solutions.

City officials have met with Wellborn residents multiple times over the past year and presented them with options other than incorporation, including an agreement that the city would not annex the community for an extended period of time.

Wellborn residents have said they oppose annexation because they want to preserve the historic charm of their community.

City officials said Tuesday that all legal work relating to the dispute was handled by city staff members.

Cohen would not say how much Citizens for Wellborn members paid their attorney, Alan Bojorquez, other than it was "a lot more than we thought we would."

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