Leland moves forward to explore voluntary annexation of 1,100 acres of Jackey’s Creek

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Leland Town Council has adopted a resolution to begin investigating a voluntary annexation petition for more than 1,100 acres of land near Highway 17.

On Thursday, council members approved a resolution directing the Town Clerk to review the petition submitted by Jackeys Creek Investors, LLC. The request covers approximately 1,139.77 acres..

The land is located adjacent to the Brunswick Forest planned unit development and the Westgate commercial area.

According to North Carolina law, municipalities may annex areas contiguous to their corporate limits if a valid petition is received and verified by the clerk. While House Bill 267 (2023) placed a moratorium on Leland’s annexations, the restriction does not apply to voluntary petitions executed before March 1, 2023. Jackeys Creek Investors filed its request on February 23, 2023.

For this property, the Planning Board will consider the initial zoning at its meeting next week. Staff will then provide Town Council with a certificate of sufficiency for the annexation petition, and Council will set the public hearing date to consider both the annexation and zoning of the property.

This site was once proposed for a minor league baseball stadium, with a feasibility study released in October 2023 highlighting its potential economic impact. However, concerns over the large public debt required for construction led Brunswick County to decline funding any of the project in April 2023.

In January of 2024, the Town of Leland and REV Entertainment, the group behind the proposed stadium and minor league team, mutually agreed to not move forward on the project.