Leland Town Council unanimously approves annexation and rezoning of Jackey’s Creek area

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — The Leland Town Council unanimously approved the annexation and rezoning of a more than 1,200-acre piece of property in the Jackey’s Creek area.

The annexation brings the land under the town’s jurisdiction.

Located next to Brunswick Forest off Highway 17, it’s the same piece of land the town once considered building a baseball stadium on.

Back in July, the Brunswick County Board of Education selected Jackey’s Creek for a possible location for a new elementary school.

Around a dozen people spoke out against the annexation before the council made its decision.

Lynn Tighe said she is worried about a park in the area being impacted.

“I know they want to take away Westgate Nature Park and the annexation made that another step forward, that, that looks like it’s possible because now they’re own most of that property,” Tighe said.

Councilman Bill McHugh said bringing the land under the town’s control is a good thing.

“So we’re going to ensure that this is done in the best way possible,” McHugh said. “It’s also going to prevent, you know, folks from utilizing Leland’s resources and their public services and their public safety with the Leland taxpayers subsidizing it, because these people will be Leland taxpayers, just like the rest of us.”

Frank Pendleton, who is running for Leland Town Council in November, said they didn’t take any issues residents had, like traffic, into consideration.

‘If you bring that many apartments, that many single-family homes, that many businesses in, it’s gonna impact 133 and it’s gonna impact 17,” Pendleton said. “I think we’re, we’re trying to worry about annexation of, of a new parcel of land and we’re not taking care of the current people who are here.”

These decisions by the Leland Town Council do not mean construction will begin immediately, as development plans still need to be presented to them for consideration.

Additionally, as part of the consent agenda passed by the council at the beginning of the meeting, the town manager, David Hollis, has been granted an increase in spending authority, allowing him to award larger contracts for projects.

Currently, Hollis can award contracts on behalf of the town of Leland up to $249,999.