Haw River Assy. files protest petition over Jordan Lake boundary move

This Monday's Board of County Commissioners meeting marks the final public hearing on a proposed boundary move for Jordan Lake, a developer-initiated move using a privately-chartered survey approved by ex-Planning director Frank Duke in one of his most controversial moves in the role.

Three out of five votes would be needed to move the boundary, and the general speculation has been that the BOCC might just have three votes in 'em, with Ellen Reckhow and Becky Heron strong opponents but Brenda Howerton's position unknown.

If the Haw River Assembly has their way with a just-revealed tactical step, dial that majority up to four.

The HRA has filed a protest petition with City/County Planning, a procedural move that requires gathering signatures from affected property owners -- and which, if successful, would force four of the five BOCC'ers to be on-board with the boundary bounce.

The N&O's Jim Wise broke the news this morning, noting that City/County Planning director Steve "I Didn't Make This Mess" Medlin is reviewing the signatures as part of the review process to ensure the protest petition's validity.

Although Monday marks the last public hearing in the process a sharply-divided BOCC initiated this spring -- over the loud objections of project supporters Joe Bowser and Michael Page -- the development team behind a proposed dense project on the site have continued to assert that the entire review process is invalid since, to their argument, Duke was authorized to make the boundary change.

We'll have more on this always-changing story as it's available.

Update: The Herald-Sun's Ray Gronberg has more perspectives on the story in Thursday's paper, noting that a protest petition would likely depend on getting 20% of landowners within 100' of the project along the east side of NC 751 to sign on -- a path to a protest position that Gronberg notes includes some vacant land parcels as well as townhomes connected to the Chancellor's Ridge subdivision.

Chancellor's Ridge was the site for the project's first unveiling in 2008 and a community that's been deeply enmeshed in the discussions and controversy to date.

Comments

[Darius M. Little]

Here we go....

[Sherry]

With all of the twists and turns in this issue, it is sometimes challenging to keep up. As do many others, I have strong opinions about this issue. I hope that, amid the twists and turns, the wool isn't pulled over our eyes.