Toot‘n Totum Food Stores has petitioned the city of Canadian to annex two vacant tracts of land, located on US 60, into the city limits. The property is located on the north edge of town, and includes two properties totaling 10.84 total acres. A portion of the highway frontage is already within the city limits.

The petition was filed by Toot’n Totum Director of Real Estate Bruce Armistead, and submitted to the city on Monday, June 13.

It follows news that a special election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to legalize the sale of all alcoholic beverages—including mixed beverages—within the city limits. A localoption liquor petition, containing 305 signatures, was successfully filed by Shila Wyatt in April, triggering the wet-dry election.

According to Toot’n Totum’s petition, the property is owned by JM-AM Properties, LLC. It includes one tract previously owned by Bill Hext, and one previously owned by K&S Leasing, Inc. The two tracts were conveyed to JM-AM Properties in the summer of 2016, according to documents signed by Hext and by Ken King.

The property was purchased then by the Amarillo-based Toot’n Totum chain in anticipation of a successful countywide local-option vote. Texas Petition Strategies launched a local-option drive at the behest of Toot’n Totum CEO Greg Mitchell, who orchestrated and bankrolled the drive, shortly after announcing plans to build a new convenience store on the north edge of Canadian, with a fueling station, truck stop, and restaurant.

At that time, there were only seven completely dry counties left in Texas. Today, there are five—Hemphill County, among them.

Following the 2016 wet-dry vote, which failed by a narrow 26-vote margin, Mitchell told The Record he intended to follow through with his plan to build a store here. He noted following the election that the design might change, but the overall plan would still be to build a convenience store and truck stop here.

In February 2018, however, Mitchell said he was “not ready to pull the trigger” on the project until he saw some sign of an economic recovery in Canadian, but admitted that he had too much money invested to walk away from the plan to build here.

City Manager Joe Jarosek said the annexation process requires both the petitioner and the city to enter into a written service agreement, which spells out a list of each service the city will provide upon approval of annexation, and one that includes a timeline for the provision of any other city services.

After the agreement is signed, a public hearing will be scheduled. Following that hearing, the council will discuss and vote on possible annexation.