CANFIELD — Joe and Darlene MacBenn want to use their land, but they have found they can’t get water and sewer to the property.

Their lots are at 7185 and 7195 Akron-Canfield Road (U.S. Route 224).

The couple are retired Newton Falls teachers who bought the two properties 40 years ago as an investment. The business used to house a Volkswagen specialty garage, and the house was rented by a Native American woman and her family up to last year, when she died.

“We would like to develop the property and perhaps put in a strip plaza,” Darlene said. “We are also fixing up the house and would like to rent it out.”

When they looked to solve a bad septic system and a bad well, however, they found out they were in a pickle.

The property is divided between the city and the township. The backyard of the home is actually in the city limits, while the house and rest of the property lie in the township. Joe said he can walk through the house in the township, then step out onto the back deck and be in the city.

At the May 3 Canfield City Council meeting, Joe told council members, “We are looking for water and sewer, and we wouldn’t mind annexing (into the city.) I have been told I can’t because it would create an island.”

One commercial property next door at 7131 Akron-Canfield Road would become an island of township land, which is not permitted. Unless that business were to annex, there is little hope for the MacBenn property.

Attorney Mark Fortunato told the MacBenns at the meeting: “You can only annex if contiguous. You will need to talk to your neighbor.”

Joe said he has attempted to send letters to the business next door but has not received a response.

As for where sewer and water would come from if they were to annex, Darlene said the city had laid in sanitary sewer and water lines down Route 224 to the Millennial Moments Joint Economic Development District that lies west of the Palmyra Road intersection. The sewer line runs in the front of the MacBenn property, 60 feet from the house.

“We would love to hook in. What do we need to do?” Darlene asked council.

City council President John Morvay told her the city would love to have them annex, “But we need to do it right. We have to resolve the island issue.”

The MacBenns returned at the May 17 city meeting and informed council they sent two certified letters to the business next door and have gotten no response.

Fortunato said he would draft a letter to the business regarding the issue.

Meanwhile township trustees would prefer not to lose any property to annexation, but its hands are tied too.

Township Administrator Keith Rogers, who also serves on the board of the ABC Water and Stormwater District, said, “I’ll eventually get water to them when the time comes.”

He said the ABC District is running water and sewer lines down Turner Road to North Palmyra Road, just north of the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center. Rogers said it would take another grant and funding to continue the water and sewer lines south to Route 224, but when that does happen, he could easily get water to the MacBenn property.

Darlene said she and her husband are in their 80s and were hoping to be able to rent out the house and the business. In the meantime, the Canfield couple are paying close to $2,900 per year in property taxes for land they cannot put to use.

The couple has hired a person to remodel the inside of the home in hopes that it can be used in the near future.

“We will keep attending the city council meetings,” Darlene said.