The Week in Review Wilmington NC February 2, 2008

The Week in Review

....your Wilmington Connection

February 2, 2008

 

The most important factor in buying or selling a home isn't what is going on nationally-it is what is going on in your local market. Evaluating present and future trends and influences in your region or neighborhood is essential to creating long term wealth, whether you are in a buyer's or a seller's market. Wilmington still a highly desirable location draws families, retirees, relocation with some of the larger corporations (GE, PPD, Corning etc.) This is what has been happening in our real estate market . If you are planning on relocating to the area ask me about our White Gloves relocation service.

Monkey Junction annexation moves on
New Hanover commissioners oppose move, but have little recourse as plans progress

The New Hanover County Commissioners say there isn't anything they can do about Wilmington's plans to annex Monkey Junction.

That doesn't mean they like it.

State annexation laws give counties little recourse against cities annexing their territory - as long the city provides essential services to property owners in newly claimed areas. That means the commissioners are left to watch warily while Wilmington moves forward with plans to claim roughly 900 acres between South 17th Street extension, Carolina Beach Road and College Road, a commercial hub with numerous big-box retailers and 1,534 residents.

"Personally, I think the annexation laws in North Carolina need to be changed," said Commissioner Bobby Greer, the board's chairman. "I think it's not necessarily fair for people to be annexed at will."

Greer said the commissioners have not formally discussed the city's plans. There's time for that - any annexation of the Monkey Junction area is at least a year away because of state rules. The city's next step is to prepare a detailed report about the area, including cost estimates and how long it would take the city to provide residents there with services such as water and sewer and police and fire protection.

And there's the rub. Most of the businesses and residents in that area already have water and sewer service and have protection services from the county, so many property owners see annexation only as additional taxes with no benefit. The annexation would add about $1.2 million to the city's coffers. Bypass pushed as DOT listens
At Hampstead hearing, wider U.S. 17 opposed

Jacksonville | Hampstead residents asked N.C. Department of Transportation officials Tuesday not to bypass their traffic concerns when determining which projects the agency would focus on over the next seven years.

Nearly a dozen residents from the Pender County village rejected DOT's idea to widen U.S. 17 to six lanes at a public hearing to discuss plans that are a part of the draft 2009-15 State Transportation Improvement Program, which allocates funding for transportation projects statewide during that time period.

The residents instead asked DOT officials to accelerate the construction of the Hampstead Bypass, which would connect U.S. 17 just north of Hampstead to the Wilmington Bypass (I-140) in northern New Hanover County. Brunswick County revisits roads plan
DOT to meet with officials on 30-year outlook for infrastructure

In one Brunswick County official's view, a plan outlining the county's transportation needs for the next 30 years has at least one flaw: A lack of new roads.

After meeting with unsatisfied county commissioners this week, N.C. Department of Transportation staffers have decided to schedule a meeting with Brunswick County staff to discuss what needs to be included in the county's new comprehensive transportation plan.

Miscommunication between the parties might have led to the DOT not addressing some county officials' concerns in a draft of the plan, said Lanny Wilson, the N.C. Board of Transportation member who represents Brunswick County.

"We need to sit down and be sure we're addressing all of their concerns," Wilson said.

The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners refused to endorse the draft plan Tuesday night, citing concerns with a proposed route for Interstate 74 onto U.S. 17 at Shallotte and a lack of new roads planned for the county.

The plan outlines road needs for the next 30 years. It's a new plan that replaces the state's former thoroughfare plan, and it now includes community goals outlined in land use plans as well as alternative transportation systems such as bicycle paths and public transportation.
......until next week in The Week in Review Tina