Kenansville to hold hearing on extra-territorial jurisdiction
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on June 26, 2005 2:00 AM
KENANSVILLE -- The Kenansville Town Board will hold a public hearing Sept. 6 on the proposed creation of an extra-territorial jurisdiction around the town.
The hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Duplin County Courthouse.
The issue was been on the table in the 1980s but residents opposed the idea.
If the jurisdiction is approved, the town board would have some say in what could and could not be built within a mile of the town limits.
Mayor Betty Long said people living in the affected area would benefit from the jurisdiction's creation. It would extend for one mile beyond the town limits.
"I don't think the people in the one-mile radium know about the benefits," Long said. "Our citizens in the one-mile radius don't want the town board telling them what to do with their property."
Town Planning Board Chairman Kenny King suggested the town bring in an expert on land use to explain the impact of an extra-territorial jurisdiction on property owners.
Town Clerk Cristal Jenkins said the creation of the jurisdiction would help promote orderly growth and development.
"ETJ has nothing to do with taxes," Ms. Jenkins said. "It has to do with smart growth. Its purpose is so you don't have turkey houses right next to a hotel."