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Sylva leaders move to annex 31 acres off Webster Road
By Carey King
Sylva leaders moved swiftly last Thursday (April 15) to make their annexation intentions clear.
In an emergency meeting called late that afternoon, Sylva town board members unanimously adopted a resolution of intent to annex 31 acres along N.C. 116. The tracts include homes on Griffin Road and Nanny's Lane, plus a portion of county-owned property where the new Department of Social Services is being built.
The move preempted Webster's plans to annex the same area. Webster leaders were set to pass a formal resolution on the matter that night during their regularly-scheduled meeting, but Sylva officials beat them to the punch.
Sylva's recent annexation move will bring the town's limits up to its borders with Webster and Webster's extra-territorial jurisdiction. Depicted in blue, the area to be annexed includes homes on Griffin Road and Nanny's Lane, plus a portion of the county-owned property where the new Department of Social Services is being built. - Herald illustration by Nick Breedlove
"(Webster Mayor) Steve (Gray) told me they were going to annex," said Sylva zoning administrator Jim Aust, referring to an earlier meeting he had with Webster's mayor, Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver and Webster annexation committee member Louise Bedford.
Webster's plans were reported in the March 25 edition of The Sylva Herald.
"The (Sylva) board just decided that they wanted to take care of their boundaries," Aust said.
A long-range "Areas of Consideration" annexation plan submitted to Sylva leaders by the town's advisory zoning board April 1 included the N.C.116 area, but made no recommendation for immediate action.
This portion of Nanny's Lane is part of the 31 acres along N.C. 116 that Sylva leaders decided April 15 to annex. The sudden vote was spurred by Webster's announced intentions to annex the same area. Residents and interested community members will have the chance to ask questions and make comment at two public hearings slated for Tuesday, June 1, and Tuesday, July 13. - Herald photo by Carey King
The sudden vote came after little discussion except a request by Sylva board member Eldridge Painter that the town complete a full survey of the area. Painter dropped the idea after Aust and town attorney Eric Ridenour determined that state statutes do not require such level of detail.
The town set two public information sessions on the matter - the first Tuesday, June 1, and the second Tuesday, July 13. Both meetings will be held at Town Hall at 6 p.m.
At that time, Sylva leaders will explain plans to extend town services to the annexed area and community members will be able to ask questions and make comments. The plans will also be posted in the town clerk's office starting 30 days prior to the first public hearing.
The annexation won't be final until April 2005, according to state law that dictates a one-year waiting period after an intent resolution is passed.
The last time Sylva annexed surrounding land was 1996, when it took in the Moody Bottom area and N.C. 107 to Ingles and Burger King.
"This is a big step and it means that we're going to have to be proactive in the things that we do," Mayor Oliver said. "I think it's a step in the right direction."
See related story page 1A.
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