Town Considers ETJ Expansion

The Town completed and adopted a newly updated Comprehensive Plan (The 2020 Land Development Plan) in December 2007. The LDP contained several recommendations for long range planning in the Town of Jamestown, including the expansion of our extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).

The way an area which is immediately outside a town is developed can dramatically affect the town itself. Development can change neighborhood character, traffic patterns, the need for town services, and a host of other variables which can ultimately affect property values in and around a town. Additionally, it is not unreasonable to think that those areas may one day be part of the town, too. Because of this, the State allows towns to extend its planning authority over the area immediately outside the town limits. In our case, the Town of Jamestown (because of its size) may only extend our ETJ limits up to 1 mile from the current corporate town limits.

ETJ EXPANSION IS NOT AN ANNEXATION! ETJ jurisdiction means that the town may prepare and review land use plans and apply all of its land use ordinances - zoning, subdivision, flood protection, soil erosion and control, and signage regulations - to the area. Residents in the ETJ will not pay Town taxes and the Town has no requirement to extend city services to the areas in the ETJ. Those residents in the ETJ, however, WILL be allowed to serve on the Town's Planning and Zoning Board and Board of Adjustment as ETJ representatives.

The Town is considering an expansion of its ETJ areas due to ever increasing growth pressures (new schools, Jamestown Bypass, etc.) along the fringe of the Town's borders. By State law, the Town will be required to request this expansion from the County first. After obtaining permission to proceed, the Town will be required to mail each property owner in the area a notice of a public hearing (date to be determined in the future) and a notice of the establishment of "initial city zoning". At this time, the Town will likely strive to maintain zoning districts which are similar to the zoning districts now seen in the County. The Town staff will additionally hold 1-2 informational meetings during this time period to help answer citizen's questions.

If you have questions about this process or would like to determine whether or not your property will be included, please feel free to contact me at 336.454.1138. I have included the following map for reference, however. The darkest areas will be the areas where we are proposing an expansion of the ETJ.

-Matthew