FRINGE AREA STUDY
The preparation of this report, was financially aided through a
Federal grant from the Urban Renewal Administration of the
Housing and Home Finance Agency, under the Urban Planning
Assistance Program authorized by Section 701 of the Housing
Act of 1954, as amended.
NORTH WILKESBORO
NORTH CAROLINA
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2014
https://archive.org/details/fringeareastudyn1965nort
PREPARED FOR:
THE TOWN OF NORTH WSLKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
James Anderson, Mayor
TOWN BOARD OF COMMUSS 8 ONERS
R. Mo Brame , Jr.
D. V. Deal
Monroe Eller
N. S. Forrester
Bla i r Gwyn
PLANNING BOARD
Jo B. Carter
Kurt Connor
Harvel Howell
S. P. Mitchell
Robert C. Morrow
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM:
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DIVISION OF COMMUNITY PLANNING
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
George J. Monaghan, Administrator
PIEDMONT AREA OFF DCE
Edward D. Baker, Director
*Edd Hauser, Community Planner
Robert F. Saleeby, Chief Draftsman
Sue Foster, Typist
•Responsible for project.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER Page
1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE 1
The Fringe Problem 1
Purpose - To Determine Feasibility 2
Purpose - To Determine Desirability 2
Scope 3
2 PAST GROWTH AND FUTURE POTENTIAL 5
3 DELINEATION AND ANALYSIS OF STUDY AREAS 7
Study Area 1 7
Study Area 2 10
Study Area 3 12
Study Area 5 1^
k IN-TOWN OR OUT? - PRO AND CON 19
Level of Service Comparison 19
Financial Impact Comparison 27
5 PROBABLE EXPENDITURES AND REVENUE FOR THE 20- YEAR
PLANNING PERIOD 29
Capital Costs 35
Annual Costs 37
Interest on Bonds 3°
Revenue 3^
6 GENERAL STATUTE REQUIREMENTS *I1
Declaration of Policy ^1
Prerequisites to Annexation kz
Character of Area to be Annexed ^3
Procedure for Annexation ^3
How the Areas Qualify k^,
7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS k8
Priority Schedule
Rationale ^0
TABLES AND GRAPHS
TABLE Page
1 PAST GROWTH OF NORTH WILKESBORO 6
1 1 LEGEND FOR EXISTING LAND USE AND
HOUSING CONDITIONS Follows 6
1 1 l-A AREA STATISTICS, Study Area 1 9
1 1 l-B AREA STATISTICS, Study Area 2 11
1 ! j-C AREA STATISTICS, Study Area
J
1 ll-D AREA STATISTICS, Study Area k
IV-A & B COMPARATIVE DATA 16
av-c & D COMPARATIVE DATA 17
IV-E & F COMPARATIVE DATA To
V COSTS 31
VI REVENUES 32
V! 1 COST-REVENUE, BALANCE SHEET
VI i 1 20- YEAR DEFiCiT
IX PROPERTY VALUATION 39
X LEGAL REQUIREMENTS 4?
MAPS
MAP Follow ng Page
1 PREVIOUS ANNEXATIONS 6
2 STUDY AREAS 6
3 EXISTING LAND USE AND HOUSING CONDITIONS, Study Area 1
~[
k EXISTING LAND USE AND HOUSING CONDITIONS, Study Area 2 9
5 EXISTING LAND USE AND HOUSING CONDITIONS, Study Area 3 11
6 EXISTING LAND USE AND HOUSING CONDITIONS, Study Area \ 13
7 EXISTING AND PROPOSED WATER SYSTEM 19
8 EXISTING AND PROPOSED SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM 20
9 PROPOSED FIRE STATIONS AND DISTRICTS 2k
10 "REVISED" STUDY AREAS kk
11 ANNEXATION PRIORITIES ^9
CHAPTER 1
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
THE FRINGE PROBLEM
Some of the most difficult planning problems encountered on the urban
scene occur on the fringes of the more heavily built-up a re as==those areas
contiguous to the existing limits of a town or c i tyo as the urban growth
expands from its not~too=conf i n i ng man-made boundaries, new residential and
industrial construction, conversion of raw land to urban uses, subdivision
of large tracts, etc., nearly always leads to a hodge-podge of mixed land
uses, inadequate health and sanitation facilities and an overall lack of
adequate control. the result is a blight on the entire urban community.
Several solutions to the "fringe problem" might be suggested here, as
they have been tried with varying degrees of success in cities and towns
throughout the country. among the methods used ares
(1) extraterritorial zoning - which is authorized in north
Carolina by GS 160-181.2, for those municipalities of
GREATER THAN 1,250 POPULATION, EXTENDING ONE MILE BEYOND
THE EXISTING LIMITS;
(2) EXTRATERRITORIAL SUBDIVISION REGULATION - AUTHORIZED BY
GS 160-226, MAY ALSO EXTEND ONE MILE BEYOND THE EXISTING
L IMI TS|
(3) strengthening any adjacent governmental units by merging
them into one unit, or...
{k) a regional planning body, (this has already been organized
as the Joint Planning Commission of the Wilkesboros and
Wilkes County);
(5) creating special districts for the purpose of coordinating
fire protection, water and sewer, parks and recreation, etc.;
AND. •
.
(6) ANNEXATION, IN MANY CASES THE BEST METHOD TO ACHIEVE PER-MANENT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FRINGE AREAS, BUT HERE A CARE-FUL
INVESTIGATION OF THE "DESIRABILITY" AND "FEASIBILITY"
OF THE METHOD NEEDS TO BE CONS I DE RED--TH I S IS BASICALLY THE
PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY.
PURPOSE - TO DETERMINE FEASIBILITY
This report is the result of a study of several fringe areas contiguous
to the town of north wfllkesboro, as the cost of bringing each area onto the
town js "weoghed" against the revenue derived from that area over a period
of timeo the cost, of course , onvolves both the capital outlay for water
and sewer systems, street pavong, fore stations, etc, plus the annual expen-d
i ture5 for ope rat b on of the varoous urban=type services provodedo thus,
the real "meat" of the report concerns the econom i c feasibility aspect of
annexat on== just what os the town's status woth respect to ts ability to
pay the price of annexing any or all of these fronge areaso
Another cons o derat o on onvolves the legal aspects of extendong munocopal
corporate limits, as outlined on gs chapter 1 60, article 3^° it should be
pointed out, however, that this study is not the report called for on gs
1 60=^53 o 3° That report onvolves legal boundary descriptions and specofoc
PLANS FOR EXTENSION OF SERVICES THAT CANNOT BE DETAILED IN A STUDY OF THIS
type o Rather, the objective here is to establish a comprehensive annexation
POLICY WITH RESPECT TO LONG-RANGE FUTURE ANNEXATIONS,, In ADD T ON s A PR! =
ORITY SCHEDULE FOR MORE IMMEDIATE ANNEXATION PROJECTS WILL BE RECOMMENDED,,
PURPOSE - TO DETERMINE DESIRABILITY
Here the problem os to examone some of the "intangible" factors involved
in extending a town's boundaries,, although these factors can be supported
by facts and figures, they are not easily measured in numeric terms,, the
underlying quality and the potential of an area for future development are
part of this line of thought,, the bonds of common nte rest==soc i al , ethnic,
cultural, economic, political, etc., also need to be taken onto account, the
"feeling" of the residents toward being included in the town—and the rec p=
- 2 -
rocal feeling of the town toward the area—are very important and often
overlooked.
Some of the reasons offered by in-town residents favori ng annexation
might include:
(1) an increase in prestige and political influence as a
result of increased size (especially in population);
(2) a broadened tax base and increased property values
within the town limits - permitting more municipal
improvements and aid from state and federal funds;
(3) a desire to provide prime industrial land for future
development.
at the same time the fringe area's residents might also favor annexa-tion
on the basis of:
(1) provision of necessary municipal improvements and
serv ices;
(2) lower insurance and utility rates.
the town-dweller could provide arguments oppos i ng annexation which
WOULD include:
(1) excessive financial burdens, and
(2) a fear of neglecting older areas of the town.
the fringe areas would oppose the issue on the grounds of s
(1) increased taxes, and
(2) politics involved in the city.
Although these. "intangibles" will not be discussed directly in any
succeeding part of this study, they should be kept in mind--in some instances
they could possibly over-ride the financial factors, either pro or con.
SCOPE
The four study areas (see Map 2) comprise approximately $0% of the pres<=>
ent population in the north wllkesboro township - excluding those already
inside the town. the areas are large enough in size to include virtually
all of the developed land contiguous to the existing corporate boundaries -
yet they are not so large as to make this study unweildly, nor to make the
areas themselves unrealistic to consider for annexation. |t was not feasi-ble
to extend the scope of this study to non-contiguous areas (like forest
Hills, Oakwoods, and the bulk of Broadway Community) even though these areas
ARE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY. In THE FIRST PLACE, LOT LINE MAPS OF THESE AREAS
were not available. also, there is too much open land between developments
to permit them to qualify for annexation under state law or to justify the
expense of extending water and sewer service to them. another angle which
was not explored is the possibility of a merger between the towns of wllkes-boro
and North Wilkesboro. .If sufficient interest on the part of both towns
IS GENERATED |N such a move, a special merger feasibility study should be
made.
Another word of warning is necessary--the areas outlined are not to be
thought of as final in themselves; when actual annexation takes place, each
one may, and very likely should be, broken down into separate parts to make
the process of annexing more manageable. further, none of the areas qualify
by the standards set forth in gs ]60-k^.k , at least for the present, and
THUS MUST OF NECESSITY BE DIVIDED. Th I S WILL BE DONE IN CHAPTER 6.
- k -
CHAPTER 2
PAST GROWTH AND FUTURE POTENTIAL
From the Population and Economy - Wilkes County , published by the Divi-sion
of Community Planning in October, 1 9^2, it was determined that the pop-ulation
of all North Wilkesboro Township would decrease at a rate of 12. 3$
during the planning period 1960-1980, based on the trends of the past several
years, (i.e., from i960 population of 7>7°7 T0 6,75^ in 1980). However, if
the town of North Wilkesboro had included the calculated 2,852 people from
the four study areas within its corporate limits in i960, IT would have had
A POPULATION OF ~l,Okj, OR 91*5$ 0F THE PEOPLE IN THE TOWNSHIP, (INCLUDING
THOSE WHO LIVE WITHIN THE TOWN, BUT SOUTH OF THE YADKIN R|VEr)o If THIS PER-centage
were held constant until 1 98o, and applied to the projected township
population of 6,758, the north wilkesboro population would be 6,l8^l, again
based on projected trends.
map 1 indicates that previous annexation activity by the town has actually
involved very little increase in population, except for the 3^5 persons who
live south of the river, (according to the 1 96o census). primarily, those
annexations of the 1950's involved commercial, industrial, and public lands.
There are now about 1,976 acres within the city limits Combined with the
four study areas, the total is ^,6^k acres, or about 8.9 square miles, ^0%
of which is undeveloped. wlth a large amount of prime industrial land lying
within the study areas, it may be inferred that the overall economic develop-
MENT of North Wilkesboro will partly depend on the adoption of a sound annexa-tion
POLICY.
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CHAPTER 3
DELINEATION AND ANALYSIS OF STUDY AREAS
There were several criteria governing the selection of area boundaries,
including: (1) community identification, (2) natural barriers, (3) drain-age
features, {k) land use patterns, and (^) interest shown by the town in
the area. where it was at all possible, creeks and rivers were used as bound-aries,
but for the most part, only lot lines were available to serve as very
ARTIFICIAL AND "LOOSE" LIMITS FOR THE AREAS. In ONLY ONE CASE WAS A MAJOR
thoroughfare used as a definite limit; usually where roads were involved,
development on both sides of the highway was included.
Because of the predominant use of lot lines as boundaries, the resulting
areas are rather flexible in their composition. th i s is fortunate in some
respects, for the town as well as the individual property owner is consequently
more at liberty concerning the inclusion or exclusion of a particular tract
within an annexation area. the areas will also be easier to subdivide in
order to meet the legal requirements, as will be discussed at length in
Chapter 6.
STUDY AREA 1
This area largely concentrates on N. C. Route 18 north of the corporate
limits of North Wilkesboro, and makes up the southern portion of the Mulberry-
Fairplains community. It is bounded on the south by the existing town bound-aries
AND ON THE WEST STOPS AT REDDIES RlVER; THE OT HE
R
1 L I M I T I NG BOUNDS ARE
PRIVATE PROPERTY LINES SELECTED JUDICIOUSLY TO INCLUDE AS MUCH DEVELOPED
TERRITORY AS POSSIBLE. THE NORTHERN LIMIT ALONG ROUTE l8 IS AT THE INTER-SECTION
with Trap Hill Road, for just north of this point is a distinct break
IN THE DEVELOPMENT.
- 7 -
STUDY AREA 1
| 1 VACANT
MAP-3
Although the westernmost section along Reddies River is almost wholly
undeveloped, it was included in the study to investigate land values , etc.,
in view of the proposed bypass to be built just north of the existing town
LIMITS.
Study Area 1 is primarily residential in character, being the most
DENSELY SETTLED OF ALL THE FOUR STUDY AREAS. |T HAS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE
OF DEVELOPED ACREAGE TAKEN UP BY RESIDENTIAL USAGE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME HAS
THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE OF PAVED STREETS (ALTHOUGH PART OF THE DIRT ROADS ARE
IN UNDEVELOPED SECTIONS OF THE AREA). MOST OF THE HOMES ARE RATHER INEXPEN-SIVE,
AND THE AREA IS SECOND LOWEST IN PERCENTAGE OF SUBSTANDARD HOUSES.
NO URBAN-TYPE SERVICES ARE NOW OFFERED IN THE MuLBE RRY-FA I RPLA J NS SEC-TION,
ALTHOUGH PLANS ARE UNDERWAY FOR A PRIVATE WATER COMPANY TO EXTEND SER-VICE
INTO THE AREA. Th I S WILL BE DISCUSSED MORE FULLY IN CHAPTER k<,
TABLE 1 1
1 —A
AREA 1 STATISTICS
Land:
Residential Acreage 515»6°
Commercial 0.3^
Industrial 25. 10
Public & Semi-Public 2~f. 16
Street r/W 67.87
Developed Ac. 6^4.07 - 53#
Farmed or Undeveloped .90 = ^~]%
Total 1 ,2l6. 03 Ac.
Streets:
Miles of State Routes
Other paved streets 2.83
Unpaved streets 6.
1
g
- 59$
Total 10. 36 Mi.
Buildings:
Total Dwelling Units 357
Substandard DU's JJ_5
- 32#
Estimated Population 1*285
Non-residential, urban uses 38
Distribution of Developed Land:
STUDY AREA 2
NORTH
EXISTING LAND USE
AND
HOUSING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL
STANDARD
SUB-STANDARD
TRAILER
INDUSTRIAL
COMMERCIAL
11111111 PUBLIC a SEMI-PUBLIC
SCHOOL
CHURCH
UNPAVED ROADS
VACANT MAp _ 4
STUDY AREA 2
The built-up section of Area 2 is a commercial-industrial strip extend-ing
EAST FROM THE CITY LIMITS TO MULBERRY CREEK. PART OF THIS "STRIP 11 IS
known as the liberty grove community. the northern boundary is delineated
to include the majority of urban development north of n. c. route 268. the
area is bounded on the west by the existing corporate limits, on the south
by the Yadkin River, and on the east by a combination of Mulberry Creek, a
portion of Flint Hill Road, and an almost indiscernible drainage ditch which
runs into the yadkin just east of the lowe's warehouses.
the percentage of residential land as seen in the "pie graph" below
may be somewhat misleading due to the large tracts on which some houses are
situated. the real character of the area is reflected in the businesses
strewn along highway 268, including a large, blighting junk yard, and the
Chick Haven Farm on Mulberry Creek. The new houses along Legion Drive com-prise
MOST OF THE STANDARD-AND-ABOVE DWELLING UNITS IN THE AREA. THOSE ALONG
Flint Hill Road are badly deteriorated. Between Flint Hill Road and the
River Road are large expanses of wooded hills.
The Mulberry-Fa i rpla i ns Water Company will extend service into this
area also, but only along highway 268, where the majority of developed land
is located.
- 10 -
TABLE lll-B
AREA 2 STATISTICS
Land:
Residential Acreage 167.^8
Commercial 16.40
Industrial & Railroad 85.92
Public &. Semi-Public 3.72
Street R/W 32.94
Developed Ac. 306.56 -
Farm or Undeveloped 41 2. 63 - 57$
Total 719.19 Ac.
Streets:
Miles of State Routes I.17
Other paved streets 2.19
Unpaved streets 1 . 40 = 29$
Total 4.76 Ml.
Buildings:
Total Dwelling Units 105
Substandard DU's J^O - k8%
Estimated Population 379
Non-residential, urban uses 3^
Distribution of Developed Land:
R. R.
3. 1 %
STUDY AREA 3
EXISTING LAND USE
AND
HOUSING CONDITIONS
MAP-5
STUDY AREA 3
The smallest area included in this report is bounded on the north by
the Yadkin River, on the east by a small, unnamed branch, on the south by
u. s. j+21 and part of park road, and on the west by the existing town limits,
It lies wholly within Wilkesboro Township and thus would extend the town of
North Wilkesboro's influence even further south of the river«
The area has a higher percentage of land suitable for development than
any other area, although the land east of the armory road slopes off abruptly
to the branch. the developed usage is now almost exclusively residential,
but there is much potential for industrial growth along the river. the only
really dilapidated buildings are those fronting on highway 421
»
- 12 -
TABLE 1 1 I —
C
AREA 3 STATISTICS
Land:
Residential Acreage 93<>8o
Commercial 1,00
Industrial 20.36
Public &. Semi-Public
Street R/W 16067
Developed Ac. 131*77 *
Farmed or Undeveloped 236. 03 -
Total 267,80 Ac,
Streets:
Miles of State Routes .92
Other paved streets 1»39
Unpaved streets - 0%
Total 2,31 Mi.
Buildings:
Total Dwelling Units 5°
Substandard DU's 7 - 1*+$
Estimated Population 180
Non-residential, urban uses 7
Distribution of Developed Land:
- 13 "
STUDY AREA 4
EXISTING LAND USE
AND
HOUSING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL
Q STANDARD
SUB-STANDARD
T TRAILER
INDUSTRIAL
COMMERCIAL
jjH PUBLIC a SEMI-PUBLIC
2jf SCHOOL
|jj _ CHURCH H UNPAVED ROADS
| | VACANT MAP-6
STUDY AREA k
Area k is bounded by the corporate limits of the town on the east, the
Yadkin River on the south, and an unnamed creek on the west. Since no map
with property lines was available for reddies rlver township, west of route
16, the boundary in the northwest corner was delineated by including only
development 200 feet back from congo road and highway 1 6. the northern
limits were drawn along known property lines to include all developed land
within a reasonable distance from the existing town. the area was over-extended
slightly up route 16 to include the cricket f i re department in the
Study Area.
Again, as in Area 1, the development is mainly residential, but with a
tremendous potential along the river "bottom land" for industrial expansion.
The housing conditions show a wide range, with nearly half being classified
as substandard. those older dwellings in the "mill sect i on 1
' are in a partic-ularly
bad state of disrepair. the outstanding commercial enterprises in
the area are the williams motel and restaurant and lowe's super market.
the undeveloped section between old u. s. ^21 and the new highway along
the river is tree-covered hills. a site for the proposed wllkes community
college has been offered in this area.
- 1* -
TABLE Ill-D
AREA k STATISTICS
Land:
Residential Acreage 480.97
Commercial 46. 87
Industrial 33°^5
Public & Semi-Public 20.10
Street R/W 66,20
Developed Ac, 655.99 - H6%
Farmed or Undeveloped 75o° 77 = 5^
Total 1^1*1.76 Ac
Streets:
Miles of State Routes 3°^5
Other paved streets 2.3°
Unpaved streets 3«95 " ^%
Total 9,76 Ml.
Buildings?
Total Dwelling Units 280
Substandard DU's 132 = hf%
Estimated Population 1^,008
Non-residential, urban uses 39
Distribution of Developed Land;
- 15 -
400
TABLE IV
COMPARATIVE DATA
IV-A ACREAGE
ACRES
800 1200 16OO 2000
1,216 ACRES
719
368
1,415
SUB-TOTAL 3,718
1,976
TOTAL 5,694
IV-B DEVELOPED ACREAGE
20
PER CENT
40 60 80 100
53.0 %
42.6
35.8
4-AREA AVG.
46.4
46.8
54.0
TOTAL AVG. 49.3
644 ACRES
307
132
656
1,739 SUB-TOTAL
1,068
2,807 TOTAL
16
IV-C DWELLING UNITS
AREA
NORTH
w'boro
DU S
250 500 750 1000 1250
357 DU S
105
50
280
SUB-TOTAL 792
1,2 3 4
TOTAL 2,026
IV-D SUBSTANDARD DU S
AREA
I
NORTH
W'BORO
20
PER CENT
40 60 80 100
SUBSTANDARD
DU'S
I 15 DUS
50
I 32
304 SUB-TOTAL
337
641 TOTAL
IT
TABLE IV-E
POPULATION
PERSONS
IOOO 2000 3000 4000 5000
AREA
I
NORTH
W'BORO
SUB-TOTAL
, 2 B5 PERSONS
37d
TOTAL
80
1,008
2, 852
4,197
7,049
TABLE IV-F
POPULATION DENSITY
AREA
I
NOKTH
W 'BORO
PERSONS / DEVELOPED ACRE 12 3 4
2.00 PERSONS/DEVELOPED ACRE
1.2 3
1.36
1.54
4 -ARE A AVG. 1.64
3.9 3
TOTAL AVG. 2.51
18
CHAPTER k
IN-TOWN OR OUT? - PRO AND CON
LEVEL OF SERVICE COMPARISON
The comparison of services offered in-town and out will double as a
synopsis of a community facilities study, and can be used as a "take-off
base" for any future study that might be done on this aspect of community
plann i ng.
Water System
In-Town
The North Wilkesboro water purification plant was built in 195^ AT
THE WESTERN END OF "I" STREET, ADJACENT TO THE IMPOUNDING RESERVOIR ON
Reddies River. The river, assigned a good classification of A— 1 1 by the
State Stream Sanitation Committee, has an average daily flow of fO to 80
MILLION GALLONS, WITH AN ALL-TIME MINIMUM OF 15*5 MGD, WHICH IS MORE THAN
ADEQUATE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE WlLKESBOROS AND THEIR SURROUNDING TERRI-TORY.
THE PLANT, EQUIPPED WITH RAPID SAND FILTERS, HAS A DESIGN CAPACITY OF
3 MGD AND AN OPERATING CAPACITY OF 1.7 MGD, WHILE THE CONSUMPTION RATE FOR
THE WlLKESBOROS COMBINED IS 1*5 MGD 0R ABOUT k6 MILLION GALLONS PER MONTH.
Before July, IS^k, Wilkesboro received water from the North Wilkesboro plant,
but when the new wilkesboro plant went into operation, it decreased the water
consumed by 15 to 23 million gallons per month.
The storage capacity for the town's water system is 1,770,000 gallons,
with a one million gallon clear well; a 300*000 gallon standpipe and a
100,000 gallon elevated tank serve the "high level system*', and a 170,000
gallon standpipe and a 200,000 gallon elevated tank serve the lower areas
- 19 -
EXISTING and PROPOSED
WATER SYSTEM
Norm Wiikesnoro
North Carolina
LEGEND
EXISTING LINES
12" a i6
H
iO"
STORAGE RESERVOIRS
TREATMENT PLANT
PROPOSED FACILITIES
PRIVATE WATER COMPANY
10" a 8" LINES
6" a UNDER LINES
MAP-7
OF THE TOWN. THE HIGH LEVEL SYSTEM CAN BE OPERATED BY A 1200 GPM DUAL PUMP,
WHICH HAS A DIESEL AUXILIARY ENGINE IN CASE OF POWER FAILURE, AND CAN SERVE
BOTH SYSTEMS.
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM GIVES SERVICE TO ALL PARTS OF THE TOWN. FROM
ALL FOUR STORAGE TANKS, THE WATER FLOWS THROUGH THE ENTIRE SYSTEM BY FORCE
OF GRAVITY, NO ADDITIONAL PUMPING STATIONS BEING NEEDED FOR THE PRESENT COV-ERAGE.
out-of-town
The water supply in each of these fringe study areas is from private
wells, and for the past several years, practically every part of the area
surrounding north wllkesboro has been plagued with a shortage in this source
of supply. to help alleviate this problem, the citizens north of the town
have formed the mulbe rry-fa i rpla i ns water association, and approximately
600 families and 5^ "intermediate users" have already purchased membership
in the company. the new system, as mentioned in the area analyses in chap-ter
3, will extend coverage into the liberty grove community as well. a
federal loan of $525>000 has been approved by the farmers home administration
to cover the cost of construction of the new facilities, which will include
two pumping stations, two elevated tanks, 7^ hydrants and 2~[ miles of line.
The source of supply will be the North Wilkesboro system, and the new com-pany
WILL BUY WATER AT A COMMERCIAL RATE.
Private water companies have also been envisioned for the Cricket and
Broadway communities; but for the immediate future, Areas 3 AND ^ will remain
on a private well basis as their source of supply.
Sewer System
I n-Town
Built on a site near Smoot Park in 1957* THE North Wilkesboro sewage
- 20 -
treatment plant was also planned to serve the future needs of the area.
Designed for two million gallons per day capacity, the plant now processes
between 800,000 to one million gallons, or a population equivalent of 1 60
gallons treated per person per day. for the first five months of 19©^> the
average biochemical oxygen demand (b.o.d.) of raw wastes was 271 milligrams
PER LITER, WHILE THE TREATED WASTES AVERAGED 1 82 Mg/l - A REDUCTION IN B.O.D.
0F 33^* This is about standard for plants with primary treatment only.
A QUICK COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEARS WILL INDICATE THAT THE B.O.D.
READING IS ON THE RISE. ("THE B.O.D. IS A COMMON SANITARY ENGINEERING TERM
MEANING THE WEIGHT OF SEWAGE IN MILLIGRAMS CONTAINED IN EACH LITER OF WATER.)
For example, in June, 19^0, the average B.O.D. before treatment was 229, after
treatment - 1^4. |f a sizeable segment of population were to be annexed in
the future, it would be necessary to provide secondary treatment with possi-ble
c hlor i nat i on of the effluent due to the a- 1 i classification downstream
at elkin's water supply, according to the state stream sanitation committee.
With the recently completed additions to the sewage collection systems
into the Highland Park section and the northern part of the town, North
wllkesboro offers adequate coverage to its residents. the new additions
included pumping stations, one near reddies rlver next to the northern town
limit, the other south of the yadkin rlver at the end of beech street.
out-of-town
all the study areas have septic tanks as the only means of sewage dis-
POSAL. Although'the Wilkes County Health Department reports no sections where
POOR SOIL CONDITIONS ARE INCONDUCIVE TO EFFECTIVE SEPTIC TANK USAGE, THERE ARE
SEVERAL RATHER TIGHTLY BUILT-UP AREAS WHERE THE DENSITY OF DEVELOPMENT COULD
MAKE SEPTIC TANKS DETRIMENTAL TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE. In ADDITION,
much of Areas 2 and k t plus smaller sections of Areas 1 and 3> have serious
HEALTH PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF OUTDOOR PRIVYS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF GROUND-WATER
pollution. There is no doubt that much improvement needs to be effec-tuated
IN ALL THE STUDY AREAS IN THIS RESPECTo
no storm sewers now exist in any of the fringe-study areas, nor will
they be planned for. the terrain in all sections of these areas is such
that they are not really needed, natural drainage channels being more than
adequate for the amount of development that is there, although it is con-ceivable
that if widespread development occurs in the bottom lands, storm
sewers may be needed.
Streets
I n-Tqwn
The present municipality-maintained total of street mileage is 25.6
miles, with 1^.9 miles of paved streets and 1 0» ~j miles of stone amd dirt.
Also, the town maintains 2.15 m9L.es of alley-ways. Roads leading into and
through the town are state routes 1 8, 115, amd 268 and u. s. ^21-a. |t is
estimated that 2*)% of the total street mileage is bordered with sidewalks;
curb and gutter is used mainly in the cbd, but rather sparingly in other
sections of the town.
North Wilkesboro owns a sufficient amount of equipment to re-surface
and maintain the city streets and no additional equipment is anticipated to
be needed to serve likely annexation areas. property owners are assessed
50$ of the cost 6y repairing streets along the front footage of their prop-
ERTY. Street signs are uniform throughout the town and Duke Power Company
has contracted to supply 2,500 lumen incandescent lights in residential sec-tions
and 20,000 lumen mercury vapor lights in business sections.
out-of-town
Within the combined four study areas, there are 20. 3 miles of streets
that are not on the state systems, 9»6 miles of which are paved; this is
k~j% 0f the streets that are paved , compared with now inside the town.
There are no sidewalks in any of the fringe areas, nor are there any curb-and-
guttered streets. all dedicated streets and roads in the fringe areas
that are being used to carry traffic are maintained by the state. no uni-formity
in road marking is apparent except for the numbering system used
throughout the state by the highway department. |f residents of these semi-rural
areas desire lights in front of their homes, duke power furnishes ~] ,000
lumen mercury-vapor lights at a rent price of $3 per month.
san i tat i on
1 N-TOWN
Garbage and refuse collection is handled inside the town by two packer-type
TRUCKS, AND, ALTHOUGH NOT IN OPERATION AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING,
another truck has been purchased which could probably service any annexation
area adequately. the collection schedule is three times every two weeks in
residential areas and six times a week in business sections. disposal is by
sanitary land fill, located behind the memorial parkj all paper and card-board
is burned behind the sewage treatment plant.
Out-ofTown
In the fringe AREAS, if garbage service IS PROVIDED AT ALL, IT IS BY
PRIVATE CONTRACT AT A COST OF $. ^0 PER WEEK TO THE HOME OWNER. Th I S COLLEC-tion
is done only once a week, and coverage is far from adequate for sanita-tion
purposes.
Fire Protection
I n-Town
One of the strongest benefits offered to the residents of North Wilkes-boro
is their modern fire station, built in 1958 AT a cost of $62,000. Its
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location on the hill at the corner of "h" and n i nth streets is considered
to be most advantageous to provide quick, easy access to most parts of the
town. Equipment includes two-1,000 gallon pumpers and a rather new utility
truck; two county rescue trucks and 2 boats (with trailers) are also stored
in the building. one of the two regular drivers is stationed in the build-ing
at all times, and 25 volunteer firemen are on call. staff training is
provided by the state, with a 3^-hour course in f i re-f i ght i ng techniques
offered each year; monthly meetings of the force are also held. these facil-ities
help to give the town a class 7 f • re insurance rating.
out-of-town
With the exception of the southern portion of Area 2, along the River
Road and Flint Hill Road, all of the fringe-study areas are in volunteer
fire districts, and as such receive a class j-k rating from the n„ c. associa-
TION of Insurance Agents. Mulberry-Fa i rpla i ns has the best equipment and
alarm system of any of the three volunteer companies. areas 1 and part of
2 would be the best protected if it were not for the fire station being
located 'four miles north of the existing town limits and over five miles
from Chick Haven Farm, on the eastern edge of the fire district. With the
distance factor of a 1.5 mile radius considered optimal for in-town fire
protection, a new station is proposed to cover the study areas 1 and 2 as
well as the industrial park, which is already inside the corporate limits.
The Broadway VFD is very badly located on a rather confining site. It
IS FELT THAT THE TOWN WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR AREA 3 FROM ITS
PRESENT CENTRAL STATION. THE REMAINING VFD AT CRICKET IS IN A GOOD LOCATION
TO SERVE THE DEVELOPED AREA ALONG OLD U. S. ^21 AND ROUTE l6, AND WAS INCLUDED
INSIDE THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION AREA AS A POSSIBLE FUTURE TOWN FIRE STAT I ON*
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The building, especially, would serve the requirements of an in-town station,
having an upper floor that is furnished to house firemen, although of course
no one uses it as a vfd. equipment at cricket includes a 500 gallon pumper
and a 1,500 gallon tanker.
Police Protection
I n-Town
Law enforcement and traffic control in North Wilkesboro is the respon-sibility
OF A TWELVE-MAN FORCE, WITH HEADQUARTERS IN THE TOWN HALL ON "B"
Street. The two patrol cars are equipped with 2-way radios; the department
also has two walkie-talkie radios as well as direct radio contact with high-way
patrol area headquarters in salisbury. at least three men are on duty
at all times—regular patrol includes a nightly check of all business estab-lishments
in the town. two women are used to issue parking tickets in the
cbd, thereby relieving the patrolmen from this duty.
out-of-town
The four study areas are within the county-wide jurisdiction of the
sheriff and five deputies. flve radio-equipped patrol cars are furnished
for the sheriff's department. the only regular patrolling done is in the
area of the new dam and reservoir; none is done in the fringe areas of
North Wilkesboro. Of course, the state highway patrol aids the sheriff's
department, especially with traffic control in the rural areas.
Public Schools
I n-Town
Only two schools are actually inside the town, but there are three in
the North Wilkesboro school system. Built on a rather confining site, immed-iately
across the river (outside of town) on Wilkesboro Boulevard, is the
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Wilkes Central High School. Originally built to serve the Town of North
wllkesboro plus that part of the county south of the yadkin rlver, this
accredited school now has students from other sections of the county as well,
who do not have to pay tuition. only 20% of the *\j6k student body of 1,300
students lived in north wllkesboro; of the remaining 80#, around 300 came
from the mulbe rry-fa i rpla i ns community.
Other schools in the city system are the North Wilkesboro Elementary
School and the Woodlawn Elementary School for Negroes. Of ~]00 students at
North Wilkesboro Elementary, 175 came from outside the town and pay a tuition
fee of $25 a year. about 1 50 students were enrolled at the woodlawn school
IN 196*1.
out-of-town
Study Area 1 includes the Fairplains Elementary School; Lincoln School,
a union school for negro students, is located in area k. the entire county
system includes, in addition to these, three high schools - north, east, and
West Wilkes - plus 18 more elementary schools.
Another educational factor in the county is the proposed community
college which has been offered a site in Study Area k between the old and the
new Highway ^21. With a planned enrollment of 800 students, this college
will reportedly bring an annual payroll of $750,000. The probability of
establishing this community college in wllkes county has been brightened in
the past year with the increase in "appropriation per pupil 11 from the county,
and the proposal has been approved by the n. c. board of education.
Although this discussion of the city and county school systems has
been offered as a "level of service" comparison, the cost of providing any
additional school facilities will not be computed in the cost-revenue analysis
in Chapter 5»
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Because of the tax policies of North Carolina, the state bears the principal
cost of operating public schools, financing them on the basis of net income
and sales taxes rather than ad valorem property taxes.
FINANCIAL IMPACT COMPARISON
This short synopsis will be of interest to the individual property owner
because it compares the annual cost of living in a fringe area against the
cost of living inside the town limits, by assuming that the same house and
property was involved in each case.
For example, if a brick veneer house with central heating and a tele-phone,
SITUATED ON A LOT IN THE FAIRPLAINS COMMUNITY WAS VALUED AT $8,000
(including land), its contents at $3,000, and an automobile at $2,000, it
would accrue the following annual cost:
If property were ... Outside Town Inside Town
Real and Personal
Property Taxes $ 81.25 $169.00
$20,000 Homeowner's
Insurance Policy 73*33 5^ * 33
Street Light Outside
Home (optional) ^6.00
Garbage Collection 26.00
$216.58 $223.33
It was assumed here that future water service by the Mulberry-Fa i rpla i ns
Water Association will cost the same as the town's water rate, and that the
service on a septic tank would approximate the town's sewer charge. further,
the capital outlay of installing water and sewer facilities was omitted in
each case.
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to take another example, suppose a frame house with only an oil heat
circulation and without a telephone was situated in the "mill section" on
old Highway 421 . The assessed value of this house and lot was placed at
$4,000, with $1,000 for contents and a $500 automobile. the owner would
probably have fire insurance policies of $5,000 on the structure, and $2,000
on its contents.
If property were ... Outside Town Inside Town
Real and Personal
Property Taxes $ 33.00 $71-50
Fire Insurance 39.00 22.00
Street Light (to share
with two neighbors) 12.00
Garbage Collection 26.00
$110.00 $93.50
SUMMARY
This review of the benefits received by town-dwellers seems to heavily
favor the "pro" side of the question. the direct year-to-year expense of
paying higher town taxes seems to be minimized when all things are considered;
and, as shows in the second comparison, this cost may actually be less inside
the town, especially for owners of lower-valued housing. the health and
safety of the citizen as well as the education of his children would ulti-mately
benefit from the in-town living experience.
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CHAPTER 5
PROBABLE EXPENDITURES AND REVENUE
FOR THE 20- YEAR PLANNING PERIOD
The crux of this study, at least as far as the town of North Wilkesboro
is concerned, is the comparison between the cost of extending urban-type
services into the fringe areas studied, and the revenue that can be expected
from each area. both expenditures and revenues were computed for a 20-year
planning period, because it was felt that a shorter period of time would not
give these areas an adequate opportunity to justify their becoming a part of
the town j i.e., the high capital outlay for water and sewer systems would
over-weigh the "cost" side of the comparison. also, if these services were
financed by bond issues, 20 years is a likely period of time that would be
required to retire the bonds.
it should be emphasized here that the purpose of this section of the
report is not to furnish detailed engineering estimates of the cost of con-structing
water and sewer lines, fire stations, etc., but to provide a realis-tic
appraisal of the existing situation in each study area concerning its feas-ibility
for annexation. the cost figures shown in table v tend to be minimal,
for only the very basic components of water and sewer systems, for example,
could be anticipated.
Another source of error for a study which attempts to foresee the future
is that all calculations must of necessity be made for the present time and
situation. All prices - sewer pipe, street paving, policemen's salaries,
street light rents, etc. - are based on the latest sources of information
available. revenues - taxes, water and sewer charges, etc. - are based on
existing rates and it would be naive to assume that these could not change
over 20 years.
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Thus the values shown can best be utilized for a comparison of the four
areas. The differences in cost over revenue are unbiased in all respects, and
should reasonably approximate the financial consequences of annexing each
area. These estimates do not represent nor will they substitute for engineer-ing
AND CONSULTING STUDIES AT THE TIME OF ANNEXATION .
An explanation of the METHODOLOGY USED IN computing these expenditures
AND REVENUES WILL FOLLOW THE TABULATIONS. In ALL CASES, A 20-YEAR PERIOD
FOLLOWING THE TIME OF ANNEXATION OF EACH AREA IS ALLOWED FOR EXPENSES AND
RECEIPTS, NOT 20 YEARS FROM PUBLICATION OF THIS REPORT, SO THE "TARGET DATE*'
IS NOT COINCIDENTAL FOR ALL FOUR AREAS.
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TABLE V
COSTS
Study
Areas-12 3 4
Capital:
Water
Sewer
Street Paving & Signs
Fire Protection
Police Protection
Sub-total
Annual:
Water
Sewer
Street Maintenance
Street Lights
Fire Protection
Police Protection
Sanitation Service
Sub-total
TOTALS
Annual Servicing Cost per
Developed Acre (theoretical)
323,820
164,160
87,165
31,050
$133,015
107,440
27,100
9,^50
^151
$ 37,55°
41,6
206
323,200
227,880
65,550
22,000
1 ,200
$ 607,6*10 $277,456 $ 79,396 $ 639,830
359,390
191,992
353,500
34,992
53,820
86,394
$143,590
126,708
156,400
10,800
16,380
10,%3
35,196
$ 5?,120
28,377
55,600
7,776
4,771
12,194
297,140
15«,737
283,300
3S,560
78,000
27,819
71,416
$1,113,588 $499,527 $161,838 $ 950,972
$1,721,228 $776,983 $241,234 $1,590,802
$ 86 $ 81 $ 61 $ 73
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TABLE VI
REVENUES
Study
Areas - 1 2 3 4
Real Property Tax* $ 399,321 $177,2*12 $ 49,096 $ 329,384
Personal Property Tax* 99,808 ^,310 12,288 82, 346
Powell Bill - per cap. ^8,573 1*1,326 6,8o4 38,102
Powell Bill - per mi. 80,820 32,310 12,510 56,790
Priviledge Lie's. 13,550 10,950 3,425 12,425
Water &. Sewer Ch 1 s. 810,065 325,779 119,235 688,107
Total $1,1+52,047 $604,917 $203,358 $1,207,154
includes a 20^ (per $100 assessed valuation) supplementary tax for
North Wilkesboro school system.
This list of revenue sources omits those items which would not increase
significantly with an increase in size or population, such as town automo-bile
L ICENSEs, I NTANG IBLE AND FRANCHISE TAX RETURNS FROM THE STATE, ETC.
While this comparison of the total cost and revenue for each area presents
a valid analysis of their relative merits with regard to their tentative annex-ation,
it does not give the entire presentation of the financial impact on
the town. the inclusion of the supplementary school tax, for instance,
slightly exaggerates the income which could be applied to the cost of muni-cipal
facilities and services, because this revenue goes directly to the
school supplement fund. any interest on water and sewer bonds was neglected
IN TABULATING THE "TOTAL COST". In ADDITION, THE NORTH WlLKESBORO WATER AND
SEWER DEPARTMENTS OPERATE ON A YEAR-BY-YEAR BASIS PRIMARILY ON INCOME RECEIVED
FROM WATER RENTS AND SEWER SURCHARGES. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS INVOLVING EXTEN-
- 32 -
sions of water and sewer lines are usually financed by the issuance of bonds
or by a federal loan, such as those grants for accelerated public works
Projects. Most of the remaining costs involved in annexation are charged
against the town's general fund. for these reasons, the following compari-son
will list water and sewer projects separately.
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TABLE VII
COST - REVENUE
Ba lance Sheet
Study Areas - 1 2 3
Water and Sewer:
Capital Costs
Annual Costs
$ 487,980
551,382
$2^0,455
270,298
$ 79,190
81,497
$ 551 5 080
455,877
$1,039,362 <fcS10 7S3 &160 687 *p 1 006 QS7
Rents and Surcharges UlUj \J\JJ 119,235 688,107
Balance - Amount of
Bond Issue
Interest on Bonds
229,297
16,922
184,974
13,651 3,059
318,850
23,531
20-YEAR BALANCE -$ 2^6,219 -$198,625 -$ 44,51
1
.$ 342,381
Streets, Fire & Police, Sanitation:
Costs $ 681,866 $266,230 $ 80,547 $ 583,845
Revenue* 552,690 247,488 75,353 460,228
20-YEAR BALANCE -$ 129,176 -$ 18,742 -$ 5,194 -$ 123,617
Total 20-year deficit $ 375,395 $217,367 $ 49,705 $ 465,998
Annual deficit per developed acre $29 $35 $19 $36
•excluding supplementary school TAX
TABLE VII
20-YEAR
DEFICIT
EXPENDITURE
£ 500,000
400,000
300,000
2 00,0
I 0,000
n
- 3* -
CAPITAL COSTS
Water Distribution
It was assumed in the case of Areas 1 and 2 that the Mulberry-Fa i rpla i ns
Water Company would begin operation within the next few years; therefore, this
cost was simply the proportion of the reported cost of the proposed facili-ties
which would be needed in these areas. the cost in each case was appor-tioned
on a user basis, both dwelling units and "intermediate users*'.
For Areas 3 AND ^> ,T WAS necessary to "rough out" nearly complete reti-culation
SYSTEMS FOR WATER DISTRIBUTION, BUT ALLOWING ONLY FOR THE BASIC
ESSENTIALS - 6" AND 8" MAINS, GATE VALVES, AND HYDRANTS. DUE TO THE UNAVAIL-ABILITY
OF ADEQUATE MAPPING IN THE STUDY AREAS, THESE SYSTEMS WERE DESIGNED
FROM AN I MPERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERRAIN. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHETHER
ANOTHER STORAGE RESERVOIR WOULD BE NEEDED IN AREA 3j a T ANY RATE, IT WOULD
be needed for the highland park and cedar hllls subdivision first, thus one
was not planned specifically for area 3« on the other hand, pressure require-ments
will probably dictate the need for a storage reservoir in area k, and
one was allowed for here.
Sanitary Sewers
The need for accurate topographical maps is even more important in the
design of sewage collection systems than for water distribution, so here
again the facilities designed could only be approximated. the four fringe
areas were treated equally for the extent of facilities planned; therefore,
no cost was levied against a fringe area in cases where larger sewers would
be required inside the town to facilitate the flow of additional sewage.
Lines were placed merely as extensions of existing ones.
Eight-inch lines were used as a standard; manholes were also planned.
The only pumping station which could be foreseen was in Area 2, where one
- 35 -
will definitely be needed if service is provided along the entire extent of
Route 268 to Mulberry Creek. This accounts for the proportionately high
price for capital outlay assigned to this area. as discussed in the commun-
ITY facilities analysis (Chapter 4) , if a considerable number of dwelling
units and businesses were added to the town's sewer coverage , it woul'o be
even more important to add secondary treatment facilities at the waste
treatment plant. the cost of this addition was not included in the tables.
Streets
Since it is considerably more expensive in the long-run to maintain
unpaved roads, it was assumed, although perhaps too ideally, that nearly all
of the existing roads and streets in the study areas would be paved over the
20-year planning period. the proposed by-pass north of the town was, of
course, accounted for as a new state route; otherwise, there were no com-pletely
new thoroughfares nor city streets planned. likewise, no sidewalks
or curb-and-gutter paving was assessed in the total cost, although the cost
of uniform street signs was included for each intersection.
F
i
re Protect i on
A SUGGESTED PLAN FOR FUTURE FIRE COVERAGE IN NORTH WlLKESBORO WAS
OFFERED IN CHAPTER 4. THESE NEW FACILITIES WERE CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO
MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO OF A CLASS ~] FIRE INSURANCE RATING, IN THE EVENT
ALL THE STUDY AREAS WERE TO BE ANNEXED. THE COST OF THE NEW STATION AND
EQUIPMENT NORTH OF THE TOWN WAS ESTIMATED AT $45,000, WHICH WAS DISTRIBUTED
ON A "STRUCTURE C OVE RE d" -T YPE BASIS BETWEEN STUDY AREAS 1, 2, AND THE INDUS-TRIAL
Park already inside the town.
The Cricket Station and equipment was valued at around $22,000 and
assessed against study area k. no assessment was made against area 3 f0r
extension of coverage from the existing fire station.
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Pouce Protection
The only capital invested is for one additional patrol car, which will
be necessary to extend adequate law enforcement into the outlying areas.
The cost of this vehicle was distributed population-wise among the four
areas. Although the police station in the town hall is considered inade-quate
FOR FUTURE NEEDS OF THE TOWN OF NORTH WlLKESBORO, IT WOULD BE SO REGARD-LESS
OF ANY ANNEXATION ACTIVITY, THUS THIS ITEM WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAL-CULAT
I ONS.
ANNUAL COSTS
The totals shown in Table V are tabulated for the 20-year planning
period, in order to coincide with the desirable period of time for computing
bond issues and total revenue.
Water and Sewer
These totals were derived from the annual budget of the town, figuring
the cost per user (household and business) and applying this to the number
of potential users on each area. again, the sewage lift station in area 2
had to be included for maintenance costs.
Streets
Maintenance of all streets was considered on the condition of a grad-ual
progression, whereas at the end of 20 years all the streets in each area
WOULD BE PAVED. No ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF A L RE A DY- PA VE
D
ROADWAY WHICH MIGHT NEED TO BE RESEALED. LIGHTING COST WAS FIGURED FOR A
TYPICALLY LOW-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AREA, WITH 2500 LUMEN LAMPS SPACED EVERY
600 FEET AND RATES I DENT I A L WITH DUKE POWER STANDARDS. |T IS ESTIMATED THAT
THESE NEW FACILITIES WOULD INCREASE THE TOWN'S MONTHLY BILL BY ONE-THIRD,
IF ALL AREAS WERE ANNEXED.
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Fire, Police, and Sanitation
These changes were made for the additional personnel that would be
required by each department in order to maintain the present level of ser-
VICE. Costs were proportioned on a population basis.
INTEREST ON BONDS ( TABLE VII )
The amount of bonds issued for water and sewer extensions in each area
was calculated to be that part of the capital cost which could not be paid
from the 20-year surplus in the water and sewer funds. interest was figured
from a Standard Ammortization Table using k% as the rate over a 20-year term.
No interest was computed on any capital improvements other than these.
REVENUE
Property Taxes
The totals shown for real property, as well as the valuations given
for each area in Table IX, are probably the most exact of any figures given.
Real property taxes are merely the summation of the 20-year tax bills that
all known property owners would pay, based on the 1 9^0 valuation of each
TRACT OF LAND ON RECORD AT THE WlLKES COUNTY Ta X SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE. An
attempt was made to tabulate the value of each tract of land in the four
study areas. |t should be mentioned, however, that sizeable portions of
the "bottom land" along the river in areas 2, 3> and ^ could be considered
as having a greater potential value than was allowed for them due to the
alleviation of the flood plain problem by the recently-built w. kerr scott
Dam and Reservoir. In addition, the large tracts north of the proposed by-pass
WILL UNDOUBTEDLY INCREASE IN VALUE WHEN THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED.
The personal property tax TOTALS WERE the RESULT of projecting the per-centage
OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TO REAL PROPERTY FOR THE ENTIRE TOWNSHIP OF
- 38-
North Wilkesboro over 20 years. It was determined from past trends that
this percentage would average 25$ for this period.
Powell Bill Funds
These are state-shared annual revenues which are paid back to munici-palities
on two bases: (1) $1.89 per capita based on the latest decennial
census, and (2) $^50 per mile for each mile of n on- state -ma s nt a i ned street
within the corporate boundaries. estimated populations for each area were
computed as j,. 6 persons per dwelling unit (actual counts being made of du's)
This figure was derived as a "median" between the town's figure and that for
the rest of Wilkes County.
Priviledge Licenses
Revenues from this source were taken from a count of those establish-ments
AND OCCUPATIONS FOUND IN EACH AREA AND LISTED IN THE "LICENSE SCHEDULE
OF THE TOWN'S Priviledge Tax Ordinance.
TABLE IX
PROPERTY VALUATION
Study Real Personal
Area Property Prope rty
1 $2,851,651 $ 712,913
2 1,266,015 316,50^
3 350,683 . 87,671
k 2,352,7^5 588,186
Total Value $6,821,09^ $1,705,27H
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Water and Sewer Charges
The consumption rate per capita was calculated from available data on
the town's water distribution system, and from this an average residential
and "intermediate user*' bi-monthly water bill was found using the existing
town ordinance on rates. the sewer rents were merely ^0% of the total water
bill. Tap-on fees for both water and sewer were figured as a theoretical
profit to the town—thus a small source of revenue.
- kO -
CHAPTER 6
GENERAL STATUTE REQUIREMENTS
Under North Carolina law, there are two ways that fringe territory may
be annexed by a town or city. The older and simpler of the two methods is
by petition, where all the affected property owners must signify that they
desire annexation of their property. the newer method is a sort of conscrip-tive
device, whereby towns of less than ^,000 persons may annex territory
under GS Chapter 160, Article by vote of the town's governing board, and
UNDER AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE WATER, SEWER AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEW
SECTION.
The most pertinent provisions of this 1959 General Assembly enactment
will be presented he re i
G.S. 160-^53»1 ' Declaration of Policy . It is hereby declared
as a matter of state policy:
(a) That sound urban development is essential to the continued
economic development of north carolinaj
(b) That municipalities are created to provide the governmental
services essential for sound urban development and for the protection of
health, safety and welfare in areas being intensively used for residential,
commercial, industrial, institutional and government purposes or in areas
undergoing such development;
(c) That municipal boundaries should be extended, in accordance
with legislative standards applicable throughout the state, to include such
areas and to provide the high quality of governmental services needed there-in
for the public health, safety, and welfare; and
(d) That new urban development in and around municipalities having
a population of less than 5>000 persons tends to be concentrated close to
the municipal boundary rather than being scattered and dispersed as in the
vicinity of larger municipalities, so that the legislative standards govern-ing
annexation by smaller municipalities can be simpler than those for large
municipalities and still attain the objectives set forth in this section;
(e) That areas annexed to municipalities in accordance with such
uniform legislative standards should receive the services provided by the
annexing municipality as soon as possible following annexation.
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G.S. l60-^33'3 » PREREQUISITES TO ANNEXATION : ABILITY TO SERVE .
A MUNICIPALITY EXERCISING AUTHORITY UNDER THIS ACT SHALL MAKE PLANS FOR THE
EXTENSION OF SERVICES TO THE AREA PROPOSED TO BE ANNEXED AND SHALL, PRIOR
TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PROVIDED FOR IN SECTION 5 0F THIS ACT, PREPARE A REPORT
SETTING FORTH SUCH PLANS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SUCH AREA. THE REPORT SHALL
I NCLUDE
:
(a) A MAP OR MAPS OF THE MUNICIPALITY AND ADJACENT TERRITORY TO
SHOW THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
(1) THE PRESENT AND PROPOSED BOUNDARIES OF THE MUNICIPALITY.
(2) THE PROPOSED EXTENSIONS OF WATER MAINS AND. SEWER OUTFALLS
TO SERVE THE ANNEXED AREA, IF SUCH UTILITIES ARE OPERATED
BY THE MUNICIPALITY.
(b) A STATEMENT SHOWING THAT THE AREA TO BE ANNEXED MEETS THE
REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION k OF THIS ACT.
(c) A STATEMENT SETTING FORTH THE PLANS OF THE MUNICIPALITY FOR
EXTENDING TO THE AREA TO BE ANNEXED EACH MAJOR SERVICE PERFORMED WITHIN THE
MUNICIPALITY AT THE TIME OF ANNEXATION. SPECIFICALLY, SUCH PLANS SHALL
I NCLUDE
(1) Provide for extending police protection, fire protection,
garbage collection and street maintenance services to the
area to be annexed on the date of annexation on substan-tially
the same basis and in the same manner as such
services are provided within the rest of the municipality
prior to annexation. |f a water distribution system is
not available in the area to be annexed, the plans must
call for reasonably effective fire protection services
until such time as water lines are made available in
such area under existing municipal policies for the exten-sion
of water lines.
(2) Provide for extension of water mains and sewer lines into
the area to be annexed so that property owners in the
area to be annexed will be able to secure public water
and sewer service according to the policies in effect in
such municipality for extending water and sewer lines to
individual lots or subdivisions. |f the municipality
MUST, AT ITS OWN EXPENSE, EXTEND WATER ANd/oR SEWER MA II NS
INTO THE AREA TO BE ANNEXED BEFORE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE
AREA CAN, ACCORDING TO MUNICIPAL POLICIES, MAKE SUCH CONNEC
TION TO SUCH LINES, THEN THE PLANS MUST CALL FOR CONTRACTS
TO BE LET AND CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON SUCH LINES WITHIN
ONE YEAR FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ANNEXATION.
(3) SET FORTH THE METHOD UNDER WHICH THE MUNICIPALITY PLANS
TO FINANCE EXTENSION OF SERVICES INTO THE AREA TO BE
ANNEXED.
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G. S« 1 60-^53* fy » Character of Area to be Annexed . (a) A munics-
PAL GOVERNING BOARD MAY EXTEND THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATE LIMITS TO INCLUDE ANY
AREA WHICH MEETS THE GENERAL STANDARDS OF SUBSECTION (b), AND WHICH MEETS THE
requirements of subsection (c).
(b) The total area to be annexed must meet the following stand-ards:
(1) It must be adjacent or contiguous to the municipality's
boundaries at the time the annexation PROCEE D 8 NG IS
BEGUN.
(2) At least one-eighth of the aggregate external boundaries
of the area must coincide with the municipal boundary.
(3) no part of the area shall be included within the bound-ary
of another incorporated municipality.
(c) The area to be^annexed must be developed for urban purposes.
An area developed for urban purposes is defined as any area WHICH IS so
DEVELOPED THAT AT LEAST SIXTY PER CENT (60#) OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LOTS AND
TRACTS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF ANNEXATION ARE USED FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMER-CIAL,
INDUSTRIAL, INSTITUTIONAL OR GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSES, AND IS SUBDIVIDED
INTO LOTS AND TRACTS SUCH THAT AT LEAST SIXTY PER CENT (60%) OF THE TOTAL
ACREAGE, NOT COUNTING THE ACREAGE USED AT THE TIME OF ANNEXATION FOR COMMER-CIAL,
INDUSTRIAL, GOVERNMENTAL, OR INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSES, CONSISTS OF LOTS
AND TRACTS FIVE ACRES OR LESS IN SIZE.
(d) In FIXING NEW MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES, A MUNICIPAL GOVERNING
BOARD SHALL, WHEREVER PRACTICAL, USE NATURAL TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES SUCH AS
RIDGE LINES AND STREAMS AND CREEKS AS BOUNDARIES, AND IF A STREET IS USED AS
A BOUNDARY, INCLUDE WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY DEVELOPED LAND ON BOTH SIDES OF
THE STREET.
G»S. 1 60-1+53'
5
° Procedure for Annexation . (a) Notice of Intent.
Any municipal governing board desiring to annex territory under the provi-sions
OF THIS Act shall first pass a resolution stating the intent of the
municipality to consider annexation. such resolution shall describe the
boundaries of the area under consideration and fix a date for a public hear-ing
to be not less than thirty days and not more than sixty days following
passage of the resolution.
(b) Notice of Public Hearing. The notice of public hearing
shall:
(1) Fix the date, hour and place of the public hearing
(2) Describe clearly the boundaries of the area under
cons 1 derat 1 ON.
(3) State that the report required in Section 3 0F this
Act will be available at the office of the municipal
clerk at least fourteen days prior to the date of the
public hearing. Such notice shall be given by publi-cation
IN A NEWSPAPER HAVING GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE
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MUNICIPALITY ONCE A WEEK FOR AT LEAST FOUR SUCCESSIVE
WEEKS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE HEARING.
(c) Action Prior to Hearing. At least fourteen days before the
date of the public hearing, the governing board shall approve the report
provided for in section 3 0f this act, and shall make it available to the
public at the office of the municipal clerk. |n addition, the municipality
may prepare a summary of the full report for public distribution.
(d) Public Hearing. At the public hearing a representative of
the municipality shall first make an explanation of the report required in
Section 3 0F this Act, Following such explanation, all persons resident or
OWNING PROPERTY IN THE TERRITORY DESCRIBED IN THE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING,
AND ALL RESIDENTS OF THE MUNICIPALITY, SHALL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE
HEARD.
(e) Passage of the Annexation Ordinance. The municipal governing
board shall take into consideration facts presented at the public hearing
and shall have authority to amend the report required by section 3 0f this
Act to make changes in the plans for serving the area proposed to be annexed
SO LONG AS SUCH CHANGES MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 3« At ANY REGULAR
OR SPECIAL MEETING HELD NO SOONER THAN THE SEVENTH DAY FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC
HEARING AND NOT LATER THAN SIXTY DAYS FOLLOWING SUCH PUBLIC HEARING, THE
GOVERNING BOARD SHALL HAVE AUTHORITY TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE
CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE MUNICIPALITY TO INCLUDE ALL, OR SUCH PART, OF THE
AREAS DESCRIBED IN THE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING WHICH MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS
of Section k of this Act and which the governing board has concluded should
be annexed. the ordinance shall:
(1) Contain specific findings showing that the area to be
annexed meets the requirements of section k of this act.
The external boundaries of the area to be annexed shall
BE DESCRIBED BY METES AND BOUNDS. In SHOWING THE APPLI-CATION
of Section k (c) and k (d) to the area, the govern-ing
BOARD MAY REFER TO BOUNDARIES SET FORTH ON A M AP OF
the area and incorporate same by reference as a part of
the ordinance.
(2) a statement of the intent of the municipality to provide
services to the area being annexed as set forth in the
report required by section 3 0f th is act.
(3) a specific finding that on the effective date of annexa-tion
the municipality will have funds appropriated in
sufficient amount to finance construction of any water
and sewer lines found necessary in the report required
by Section 3 to extend the basic water and/or sewer
system of the municipality into the area to be annexed,
or that on the effective date of annexation the munici-pality
will have authority to issue bonds in an amount
sufficient to finance such construction. |f authority
to issue such bonds must be secured from the electorate
of the municipality prior to the effect i ve "date of annex-
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ATION, THEN THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ANNEXATION SHALL BE
NO EARLIER THAN THE DAY FOLLOWING THE STATEMENT OF THE
SUCCESSFUL RESULT OF THE BOND ELECTION.
(k) FIX THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ANNEXATION. THE EFFECTIVE
DATE OF ANNEXATION MAY BE FIXED FOR ANY DATE WITHIN
TWELVE MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF PASSAGE OF THIS ORDI-NANCE.
(f) Effect of Annexation Ordinance. From and after the effective
date of the annexation ordinance, the territory and its citizens and proper-ty
shall be subject to all debts, laws, ordinances and regulations in force
in such municipality and shall be entitled to the same privileges and bene-fits
as other parts of such municipality. the newly annexed territory shall
be subject to municipal taxes levied for the fiscal year following the effec-tive
date of annexation.
(g) Simultaneous Annexation Proceedings. If a mun i c j pal i ty as
considering the annexation of two or more areas which are all adjacent to
the municipality boundary but are not adjacent to one another, st may under-take
simultaneous proceedings under authority of this act for the annexation
of such areas.
(h) |F, NOT EARLIER THAN ONE YEAR FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ANNEX-ATION,
AND NOT LATER THAN FIFTEEN MONTHS FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ANNEXATION,
ANY PERSONS OWNING PROPERTY IN THE ANNEXED TERRITORY SHALL BELIEVE THAT THE
MUNICIPALITY HAS NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH ON ITS SERVICE PLANS ADOPTED UNDER THE
provisions of Sections 3 ( c ) AND 5 (3)> such person may apply for a writ of
MANDAMUS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE kO, CHAPTER 1 OF THE GENERAL STAT-UTES.
HOW THE AREAS QUALIFY
Study Area 1
Area 1 qualifies nicely as an annexation area on the first two counts;
i.e., (1) it is obvious that more than 1 /8 of its boundary coincides with
the town's boundary, and (2) more than 60# of the total number of lots are
in "urban use"; however, only k~(% of the acreage " not used for commercial,
industrial, or institutional purposes" is in lots of 5 acres or less (see
Table X).
To make Area 1 "workable", a suggested solution is found on Map 10.
The westernmost portion is separated from the bulk of Area 1 by a section of
the unpaved road which connects route l8 to route l6. the "revised" area 1
fits the legal requirements perfectly (see table x).
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Within Area 1-A, at least one landowner has already discussed with the
TOWN THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING ANNEXED BY PETITION, AND FOR THE 20-YEAR PLAN-NING
PERIOD COVERED IN THIS REPORT, IT IS NOT UNLIKELY THAT THE REST WOULD
FOLLOW SUIT, FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED BY-PASS THROUGH THIS SEC-TION.
There are no more than a few houses within this "petition area", and
the total land valuation is only $127,000, a small percentage of the rest of
Area 1. Of course, following completion of the new by-pass, which is planned
to just skirt the existing town limit, it is quite likely that this new sec-tion
will begin subdividing, thereby making the entirety of the original
Area 1 qualify under the general statutes. This by-pass is a top priority
road for Wilkes County, and could be completed by 1968.
Study Area 2
The same problem is encountered here that was observed in Area 1 -- in
this case, the large undeveloped tracts south of Flint Hill Road caused the
third criteria to fall far short of the required minimum. the "remedy" was
to exclude this "detrimental" section from the area considered. but here,
the total valuation of the sub-area 2-a was rather high, due to the lowe's
Warehouses on River Road.
It should be said that in this case, there, appears to be less induce-ment
FOR THESE TRACTS TO EVER COME INTO THE CORPORATE BODY OF THE TOWN. In
addition, it may be necessary to exclude the eastern extremity of the area.
This property includes Chick Haven Farm, which is a sizeable proportion of
the total valuation of the entire area 2.
It has been suggested in the Future Land Use Plan published by the DCP
in December, "1962, that there will be a need for an entirely new road through
the eastern side of area 2-a, but the prospects of this being realized are
too far into the future to even consider the possible effect.
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Study Area 3
The best approach to the future annexation of this fringe area would
BE TO LEAVE IT TO PETITION PROCEDURES. FROM Ma P 1 IT CAN BE DETERMINED THAT
THE TERRITORY SOUTH OF THE RIVER IS ONE OF TWO SECTIONS WHERE COMPARATIVELY
VIGOROUS ANNEXATION ACTIVITY HAS RECENTLY OCCURRED, AND THAT THIS PARTICULAR
STUDY AREA HAS MORE "POTENTIAL PER ACRE*' THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS. AT THE
PRESENT TIME AN EXTENSION OF THE CEDAR HlLLS SUBDIVISION IS DEVELOPING AND
FURTHER SUBDIVIDING COULD TAKE PLACE.
Study Area k
The same approach could be taken here that was followed in Areas 1 and
2. If the large open tracts south of Highway ^21 were excluded from the
annexation procedure under the General Statutes, the resulting Area k would
QUALIFY PERFECTLY. THEN TOO, IF THE BOTTOM LAND IN AREA ^-A WERE TO EXPERI-ENCE
ANY INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION, IT WOULD LIKELY PETITION TO GAIN URBAN SERVICES.
AT THIS POINT, IT SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED AGAIN THAT THESE "solutions" ARE
ONLY SUGGEST I ONS ; THEY ARE MADE TO INTRODUCE VARIOUS WORKABLE AREAS WHICH
WOULD SATISFY THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, IN THE EVENT THE TOWN SHOULD DESIRE
TO ANNEX THEM IN THE FUTURE.
TABLE X
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Study Area ™ Per cent of % of total % of total residential
Contiguity number of lots & undeveloped acreage on
in urban use lots of ^ acres or less
1 39.1 71.5
2 36.6 61 .3 23.3
I
36.1 76.6
22.5 82.1 H6.$
AFTER ADJUSTMENT:
1 3H P'}
62.0
2 36.6 6i.k 63.5
I
36.1 76.6 25.7
16.1 83^ 60.7
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CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
At the outset of this study it was stated that the primary objective
was to establish a comprehensive annexation plan for the town of north
wllkesboro, including the fringe areas contiguous to the corporate body.
From the cost-revenue analysis in Chapter 5> A straight-forward procedure
could be derived, but it must be remembered that any annexation activity
must always include a mutual understanding on the part of the residents
involved and the town. th i s is where the "intangible factors" become
involved, and the need for educating an area's residents on the pros and cons
of annexation is one intangible which can lead to very concrete results.
Therefore, the first step taken before any expansionary move is made should
be to arrange some type of public meeting to inform all persons involved or
interested of the content of this report and of the town's future plans.
Many efforts toward annexation in towns throughout the country are defeated
simply because the benefits are not properly explained.
an objective appraisal must be made, however, and the practicality of
annexing each area must be made on the basis of ...
1. satisfying the requirements of the general statutes,
2. finding the best balance between the total cost and
total revenue which will accrue in each area, and
3« examining the potential for future growth and addi-tional
revenue sources.
any conclusions that are specifically stated in this report or that may
be inferred from it should be thought of as being derived from the prevailing
conditions; any material changes that occur in the study areas or in the town
itself could affect these conclusions either way. such "changes" might include
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THE LIQUIDATION OF THE TOWN'S BONDED INDEBTEDNESS, ADDITION OF A LARGE SUB-DIVISION
OR AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT IN ONE OF THE STUDY AREAS, OR A DRAMATIC
INCREASE IN THE ASSESSED VALUATION OF LARGE TRACTS OF LAND.
PRIORITY SCHEDULE
Although it is obvious that almost any activity will be at best a slight
financial burden on the town, it is recommended that the following steps be
considered to expand the corporate boundaries of north wllkesboro, in the
order specified:
(Stage 1, 1965-1970)--
(1) the entirety of area 3 should be incorporated into the town - by
petition procedure of the landowners in the area if possible.
(2) THE NORTHERN SECTION OF AREA 2 (SEE Ma P 10) SHOULD BE ANNEXED THROUGH
the authority of gs chapter 1 60, article ^6.
(3) Following completion of the northern by-pass around the town, those
PROPERTY OWNERS IN AREA 1 -A (SEE Ma P 10) WHO REQUEST ADMISSION WITHIN THE
corporate limits should be included.
(Stage 2, 1970-1980)--
(4) the southern part of area 2 could be admitted and very nicely
"smooth out" the eastern boundary of the town.
(5) if the annexation program is running smoothly near the end of
this annexation stage, it is suggested that one bold stroke be made to annex
Area 1. The decision to make such a move should be examined from "all the
angles" and approached with caution, because heavy subsidization WILL HAVE
ALREADY BEEN MADE IN THE CASE OF AREA 2, AND A TREMENDOUS BURDEN WILL FALL
ON THE TOWN IF AREA 1 IS ANNEXED.
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RATIONALE
While Areas 2 and 3 ARE somewhat different in character and land utili-zation,
THEY ARE SIMILAR IN SEVERAL RE S PEC TS--C OMPA RE D WITH THE REMAINDER OF
North Wilkesboro's fringe area, they have a smaller percentage of developed
land in residential use, as well as less over-all de velopment--thus these
areas have more potential for future development and higher tax-revenue
SOURCES.
Area 3 is the outstanding prospect for the town's annexation proceed-ings
IN EVERY RESPECT EXCEPT ONE--IT DOES NOT SATISFY THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT
OF HAVING AT LEAST 60# OF ITS TOTAL RESIDENTIAL AND UNDEVELOPED ACREAGE TAKEN
UP BY TRACTS OF LESS THAN 5 ACRES. FOR THIS REASON, UNLESS A LARGE AMOUNT
OF UNFORESEEN SUBDIVIDING TAKES PLACE, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO ADMIT THIS
AREA BY PETITION OF THE P RO PE RT Y- OWNE RS , AND THE PRIMARY TASK OF THE TOWN
WOULD LIE IN EDUCATING THE RESIDENTS CONCERNING THE BENEFITS OF SUCH ACTION.
ONE RELATIONSHIP OBSERVED IN THE STUDY OF THESE FRINGE AREAS OS THAT
"COSTLINESS" (BUT NOT NECESSARILY COST) IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE S«ZE
OF THE AREA. BE I NG THE SMALLEST IN SIZE, AREA 3 I S T HE ONLY STUDY AREA WHICH
EVEN APPROACHES "PAYING ITS OWN WAY" IN THE EVENT OF ITS INCORPORATION UNTO
THE TOWN. |N ADDITION, ITS "ANNUAL SERVICING COST" OF AN ESTIMATED $6l PER
DEVELOPED ACRE IS MORE THAN $10 LESS THAN THE NEXT LOWEST STUDY AREA (SEE
Table V) due to the terrain and proximity to the center of town.
The relatively high cost of providing sewer service into Area 2 is the
primary factor which makes this area a financial liability upon annexation,
a slight discrepancy would occur in the cost-revenue analysis if this area
were annexed without area 1 --a heavier portion of the proposed fire station
would fall on area 2--but this problem could be alleviated if the new sta-tion
could be financed by bonds. if this area is deemed a potential annexa-
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tion area by the town, negotiations should begin as soon as possible with
the mulberry-fa i rpla i ns water company in order to secure their water lines.
Area 1 can be considered only as a long-range possibility in North
wllkesboro's future annexation policy, because it is generally accepted that
those areas requiring extremely heavy subsidization should only be annexed
after more promising areas have augmented the town's tax base. except for
the open land in the western section (along the proposed by-pass route),
Area 1 is the most developed of any fringe area, and because of its terrain
and location, has less chance for further development.
Another important factor in annexing the Fairplains community will be
the problem of again over-crowding wllkes central hlgh school. the solution
could involve building another city school.
For many of the same reasons as above, it was felt that the risk at
this time would be too great to even consider bringing area k into the town,
The affected property owners as well as the town would suffer financially
because of it. it is rarely of any service to a declining area to annex it
just because it needs public worksj the property owners still might not be
able to afford the special assessments which water, sewer, and street improve
ments would require. some possibilities do exist here, however) the bottom
land in the "v" formed by the yadkin and reddies rlvers could develop as a
fine industrial site, or the proposed community college could be built in
the wooded hills near the center of this area. each of these developments
would influence the consideration given to this area in the future.
|t is hoped that this study will prove to be a constructive help to
the Town of North Wilkesboro in future annexation efforts. As is too often
the case in American towns and cities, annexations have been either premature
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or too late for effective planning; rarely have they been carried out as
part of a comprehensive planning program. |f the information and sugges-tions
contained in this report are applied in a conscientious manner by the
town, North Wilkesboro could avoid some of the problems associated with
fringe area expansion.
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
00031673760
FOR USE ONLY IN
THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION
28957
A
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'A