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Wilmington gated community looks to become municipality

Submitted by WWAY on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 5:45pm.READ MORE:

A local gated community may soon become its own village. The Cape private community is exploring options to become New Hanover County's fifth municipality. A concern about the City of Wilmington's annexation of Monkey Junction worried board members at The Cape; they were concerned that their land may be in future plans. In order to become immune to annexation, talks about incorporation began. The community has done extensive research into the issue and has held five meetings with its 1,200 residents to inform them about the pros and cons of incorporation. On October 10th, residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not they support or oppose the incorporation of a new village. Residents we spoke to within the community generally supported the idea of forming a new village. The main theme among community members was a desire for things to stay the same at The Cape, and they feel that they can accomplish that through incorporation. If a new village is formed, it would be self governed by its own elected government.

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first time home buyer

Submitted by Guest28409 (not verified) on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 1:04pm.

There is a house in the cape that I am interested in... What are the HOA fees now, and are they subject to change? If so will they increase or decrease with the proposed incorporation? Thanks.

RE: dues

Submitted by Guest1009 (not verified) on Thu, 10/22/2009 - 9:18am.

thecapepetition.blogspot.com has information about dues issues and reform. The home community dues are not unreasonable if services or amenities were included, but amenities are not included and there is some majorly contentious issues about how the dues money is spent; due to the community being developed prior to stormwater control laws. And now money is being spent to keep circulating rising water around and around the same body of land. Land that is not elevated above the Cape Fear River level. Most every home now falls under the new FEMA flood maps and requires an additional flood insurance premium that can average $500-700 per year. The new golf course is a separate business entity. They have separate dues for their memberships and can be contacted at masonborocountryclub.com

No one wants our community

Submitted by thecapepetition.blogspot.com (not verified) on Wed, 10/14/2009 - 1:59pm.

No one wants our community ruined by re-incorporating as a village under North Carolina General Statute Chapter 47F. Look at all of the non-judicial foreclosures for other HOA's around the state formed after 1999. This is a destructive piece of legislation designed to get boards and HOA members fighting with other neighbor members and then fighting each other in court and then the community takes their home when the owner runs out of money. Very bad indeed.

This boils down to the board

Submitted by Guestnoannexation or incorporation (not verified) on Tue, 10/13/2009 - 12:30pm.

This boils down to the board of senior citizens feel out of control of their aging, and deteriorating mental and physical capacities. Working on a proposal of this type makes them feel empowered again. No matter the cost to the ones who actually will be living here and paying for it for years to come.

The serious nationwide

Submitted by Guest911 (not verified) on Tue, 10/06/2009 - 7:22am.

The serious nationwide problem with HOA's is, if any board member doesn't like you, they can spend all of their unlimited free daily retirement hours meeting together and band together all of your neighbors to harass you legally and financially. and YOU will pay THEIR attorney fees to do this to you! The Cape is just fine. No one here wants to be re-incorporated as a village and then subjected to the Chapter 47F of the North Carolina General Statutes Planned Community Act Legal Statutes. God knows what these people will do to the unsuspecting lowly working homeowners then. The common name for the board Already inside the gates is The People's Republic of The Cape. The most recent problem is now we have a guy who worked in the Congress on the DC beltway on the board wreaking complete havoc and staffing bullies and then cuffing alleged votes to get other bully board members elected to run the community.

You know if the county would

Submitted by Guest6754678996 (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 6:23pm.

You know if the county would just give the city there fair share of the tax rev. then the city has already stated that they would not annex MJ or anything else. Simple solution.

Just following the law

Submitted by Guest2009 (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 10:07am.

Wilmington poli - tics (many blood sucking organisms) should take note: the pushback is coming. Rather than annexing, tax politicians who vote for dead on arrival, unpopular projects like the convention center. Or, tax the criminals downtown that we are not supposed to talk about, lest the tourists become alarmed. Is it any surprise that county residents in unincorporated areas would shun these and other "benefits" of residing in the People's Republic of Wilmington? Good for the Cape!!!

The HOAs are already in

Submitted by thumpp (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 9:41am.

The HOAs are already in charge... this just makes it official.

too bad

Submitted by greenie (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 6:55am.

Too bad Monkey Junction couldn't organize and incorporate before we got annexed. This should be on the minds of homeowners associations across the 28409 zip. Initiate a delegation of Masonboro HOA's and don't let the city impose taxation without representation.

I

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Sat, 10/03/2009 - 2:00pm.

SUSPECT...that this is going to begin to be a popular thing to do...we are thinking about it as well.

HOPE THEY GET ANNEXED BY WILMINGTON

Submitted by Guest5555555555555555 (not verified) on Sat, 10/03/2009 - 1:38pm.

They are a bunch of people who have money trying to get out of paying taxes. I really hope they get annexed before becoming incorporated. They are a gated community and will only let in who they want. If they become a town then they have to build Town Hall, all services outside the gates. Where do you think they will get the money from? The county and state for government loans. It will cost this area more money if they become incorporated. Wilmington needs to annex all the way to Snow Cuts bluff. I think then the voters should call for a vote on a metro government with the county. That will lower the cost for everyone. It can get rid of or change over Wilmington PD to county deputies, and lower taxes. Wilmington population is and largest area majority of the county. Its only a matter of time before they get annexed. If they are urban area then they can be forced annexed. This is only a case of the rich versus the poor. And those who disagree are very wrong.

no no no

Submitted by greenie (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 11:32am.

In actuality, this development is like many others, including Landfall, that already had all services in place. They don't need any city services, thus it becomes a revenue generator for the city with no investment from the city. I own a home in the county. I have all the services I need. If I go to the city for lunch, I pay city taxes, pay for parking, and am subject to City Police monitoring. If I poo, the restaurant pays for water/sewer. I'm tired of people inferring that I use city services without paying for them.

LOL

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 10:35am.

Do you know what the Cape is dude?...there are not rich people in there...

The new meaning of "rich" in America

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 12:25pm.

You don't understand it. They voted for CHANGE, and that includes the meaning of words when it's convenient for them. If you make more money than me, you're "rich" and should be taxed until our incomes are equal. That way the government can use the money they took from you to give me all the things that I want, but am not willing to work or save for myself. Yep! Change we can believe in....just like Russia in 1917.

Federal property ownership possibly prevents any annexation ever

Submitted by Guest910 (not verified) on Sat, 10/03/2009 - 11:14am.

Please follow up on this story and call the City of Wilmington and verify that they have stated by phone conversations to homeowners that it is highly unlikely that The Cape would ever meet the Statutory Law requirements to EVER be annexed for 1. number of residents per acre and 2. percentages of borders owned by the adjacent municipality. A high percentage of the Cape's borders is owned by the Federal Government, specifically The United States Coast Guard and The Army Corps of Engineers wetlands as well as other possible State and Federal entities. Your news station is being used to promote this issue so these people can make it appear that they have residents voting for this, when in fact, they really don't have many people listening to this at all that actually vote here.

Village of The Cape

Submitted by Guest123456789 (not verified) on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 8:05pm.

Would incorporating cost more in taxes for the residents of the cape vs annexation into the city? Also regarding this quote "The main theme among community members was a desire for things to stay the same at The Cape, and they feel that they can accomplish that through incorporation." What do they think will happen if they are annexed? It's not like just being in the city limits would make it resemble a "downtown neighborhood".

cape

Submitted by greenie (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 11:40am.

Actually, the board has done it's homework. The cape qualifies on all counts for a municipality. They already have water, sewer, fire, police, and road maintenance. It was researched, and concluded that incorporating would be cheaper than being annexed by the city. AND they would have a smaller/more intimate stake in their OWN government and fiscal responsibility. Maybe WWAY could look into this further and have the Cape HOA release the appropriate literature they sent out to their HOA members proving all of the above. We should all be looking at this as a POSITIVE and encouraging change in the Wilmington City hostile takeover policy. And maybe Wilmington government officials would consider turning in their salaries and performing the execution of their duties for free like most HOA boards do...

The Cape fails to publish what's really going on at meetings

Submitted by Cape Homeowner (not verified) on Mon, 12/28/2009 - 11:33am.

A number of people have requested to have Cape information made public to all residents. I know of no one who voted for this village incorporation. These people keep charging me more and more every year to supposedly ' drain ' the stormwater that keeps circling and circling around the same body of flat wetlands. I'm not giving them any money to build themselves an office. The Cape-hoa.org webpage is just about selling ads and it's a joke. You cannot even see the minutes of board meetings with your homeowner log-in credentials.

"They already have water,

Submitted by Guest12345679 (not verified) on Tue, 10/06/2009 - 2:24pm.

"They already have water, sewer, fire, police, and road maintenance." All provided by the county. If they become a municipality, they are going to have to provide these services to themselves. That's gonna cost some $$$

wrong, partly...

Submitted by greenie (not verified) on Wed, 10/14/2009 - 9:02pm.

SOME of the services are provided by the County. The requirements to become a municipality are water (paid through Aqua), roads (Cape owns all the roads and maintains them through their own cost), fire (agreement with county volunteer FD, paid for by homeowner taxes), sewer (area NOT covered by gestapo Cape Fear Water and Sewer - paid service by homeowners in the Cape), police (actually, the county sherriff considers the Cape private property, and only enters if called). Point is they have all the services they need. There is nothing the city will provide except increased taxes. THAT FAR OUT, no one could reason that the Cape enjoys any benefit currently from it's "proximity" to the city. Preserve the wide open spaces and quiet riverside estates. Don't let Wilmington take over the whole county.

How dare you....

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 12:11pm.

...think for yourselves and attempt to control your own destiny? Didn't you know that you were supposed to just sit there and wait for the city to swallow you up and then tax you again for services you already receive? Here's hoping that Porter's Neck and Figure Eight Island do the exact same thing. Deny the Wilmington tyrants their ill-gotten booty. They'd just blow it, anyway.

commonsense

Submitted by greenie (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 1:19pm.

Philisophically, do we need government? Yes, to maintain order. How big should that government be? Big enough to ward off hostile takeover, small enough to be receptive, responsive, and effective. Look at the largest democracies in the world; losing control and out of touch with many of the smaller factions of their countries. After all the bad news day to day, this makes me happy that people are taking charge of their own government. Next is the City, County, State, and then the Feds!!!

Its

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 10:38am.

the DOUBLE taxation that everyone HATES...you know...the sort of thing people used to raise pitch forks and threaten to hang officials for...

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