Town officials eye extending Sylva’s ETJ

Sylva is looking at extending its extraterritorial jurisdiction. It’s done that before, but balked when the time came to pull the trigger. This could be Sylva leaders’ last chance, however, to control appearances on the town’s outskirts. North Carolina’s Republican-controlled General Assembly is likely to restrict or eliminate municipalities’ power to establish ETJ.

Those included in them – the town can go up to 1 mile from its municipal line, larger cities up to 2 miles -- would be required to comply with zoning rules, such as restrictions on sign sizes. Those within an ETJ don’t pay town taxes, but they don’t receive town services, either.

Sylva leaders are looking at a three-phased extension of the town ETJ, starting with the stretch from Ingle’s grocery store to the old Jack the Dipper on N.C. 107. This would extend to Webster’s existing ETJ.

“We are trying to take in potential commercial property,” town Manager Paige Roberson said during a July 17 board meeting.

Property owners can expect to receive notification in the mail. The town is looking at a September public hearing.

The second phase would go up Business 23 to catch potential commercial development at Exit 85. The third phase is the Cope Creek and Dillardtown area; that section hasn’t been fully detailed yet, in terms of from where-to-where, by the town’s planning board, Roberson said.

“Don’t be surprised when you hear from the property owners,” Roberson told town board members. “There will be a lot of questions -- just direct them to me.”

Sylva’s current ETJ includes the Yellow Bird Branch area.