INDIANOLA — Residents who live on the Indianola Spit have always felt like part of the community, using the private beach and participating in neighborhood events. They were only visitors, though, as opposed to an official part of the Indianola family.

After the Nov. 7 election, however, they have validation on paper that their neighborhood is a part of the community.

The Port of Indianola’s Proposition 1 was approved by an overwhelming majority to include about 130 homes from Indian Bay in the port boundaries. The property will join some 850 houses already included.

“I think Indianola’s an old, old community, many of the houses are two- or three-generation homes,” said Indian Bay Home Owners Association President Lee Lannoye. “People who live in the Indian Bay Association are much newer, where most of the homes are first generation. Now, we are officially a part of the old community.”

Residents of the Indianola Spit were unofficially a part of Indianola prior to the vote, helping raise money for the town’s clubhouse repairs and organize community events, Lannoye said. Now they can use the beach without feeling like trespassers as the development is now part of Indianola’s whole, he said.

“A lot of people who live in that area were surprised that they weren’t already a part of the port,” said Indianola Beach Improvement Committee President Bo Blakey. “The sentiment from most people was to be included. This will also mean more funds for the port, which will go towards improvements and upkeep.”

Because they have been included in the Port of Indianola, Indian Bay residents will see their annual property taxes increase by about $100, Lannoye said.

The hike won’t occur until 2008, Blakey said.

“That isn’t too bad,” Lannoye said. “It’s basically your weekly latte trip.”

This is the first time the port’s boundaries have been expanded since it was created more than 70 years ago. Indianola simply grew without expanding the port’s boundaries to include the newly developed areas.

“The spit has always been a part of Indianola,” said Port of Indianola Commissioner John Jacobsen. “They needed to be included. It was time to do that, to change the boundaries. It won’t have a great impact, because those people were already a part of the community.”

Indian Bay resident and IBIC board member Joan Lobdell said the spit is to Indianola as Bellevue is to Seattle, but the population of Indian Bay was anxious to become a part of the port, especially since the two areas seem to be coming closer together with Indianola Clubhouse fund raising.

“The (Tour de Duck) race really bonded us together,” she said. “It got things rolling, and we felt it was time to become a part of Indianola. It’s been a very positive decision.”