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Town forum looks at ETJ
Lewisville talks about controlling surrounding area
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Published: April 17, 2008
LEWISVILLE
Lewisville's decision to seek extraterritorial jurisdiction from the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners worries some landowners and excites others.
The two sides came together Tuesday at the Lewisville library at a meeting that was organized by the town and a grassroots group that is in favor of ETJ.
About 80 people attended the meeting.
ETJ gives a municipality the right to plan and regulate development in areas outside its boundaries. Under state law, municipalities between 10,000 and 25,000 residents can seek ETJ up to two miles beyond its borders.
However, the county commissioners must grant the permission. Lewisville's population is about 13,000.
Jeff Zenger, the chairman of the town's planning board, said that the town is seeking ETJ in areas that will one day be part of Lewisville. ETJ would give the town a chance to control how that area is developed and stay ahead of urban sprawl.
As it is now, the county can approve whatever projects it wants just outside the town limits.
"And we get to deal with the aftermath," Zenger said. "ETJ brings zoning issues to us. They are going to be our communities anyway."
Phil Seats, who owns property near the Yadkin River that would be affected by ETJ, said he opposes the plan. People who would be affected by ETJ do not become citizens of Lewisville.
But they would have to abide by Lewisville's zoning regulations. The town's planning board would also be reapportioned to include people affected by ETJ.
Seats said that doesn't go far enough. He said that if he doesn't like what the county commissioners do, he has the right to vote against them. However, if he doesn't like what the town council does, he doesn't have that right.
Tom Waldrep countered that Seats would have more influence talking with Lewisville's planning board and council about zoning issues than county commissioners and the City-County Planning-Board.
Waldrep was one of the moderators of the talk. He lives outside the town limits and is a member of Forsyth Citizens for ETJ, a pro-ETJ citizens group.
John Sangimino, also a member of the group, said that the county's intent is to urbanize the county. "What Lewisville is trying to do is draw a line in the sand," he said.
Town Manager Cecil Wood said that Lewisville can make the best decisions about how land just outside its borders is developed.
"We think people living in the area will love and protect the land more than people who have other things on their plates," Wood said in reference to the county's planning board and commissioners.
"We can't have three people pursuing this," Zenger said. "It has to be the community."
Seats said he and other landowners have already e-mailed commissioners about their opposition to the plan.
■ Lisa O'Donnell can be reached at 727-7420 or at lodonnell@wsjournal.com
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