Wednesday, Sept. 13, the North Carolina Senate passed House Bill 5, which includes the de-annexation of close to a thousand acres from the Town of Summerfield.
Several years ago, developer and Summerfield resident David Couch proposed a mixed-use development on 973 acres he owns in Summerfield, and he has been battling with the town for approval of his development plans for years. This year Couch gave up on getting cooperation from Summerfield for his development plans and requested that the North Carolina legislature de-annex his land.
The bill still has one more vote in the Senate and then has to go back to the state House for passage.
On Monday, Sept 11, President Pro Tem of the Senate Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), who represents the Summerfield area, sent a letter to Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms informing Sessoms that he would be supporting the bill to de-annex Couch’s land from the Town of Summerfield and going into some detail about his reasons for that support.
While many in Summerfield have expressed outrage over having their town “cut in half” by this de-annexation, there is more to the de-annexation bill than simply removing the 973 acres from the Summerfield corporate limits.
The property to be de-annexed is described in Section 8.(a) of House Bill 5, and Section 8.(c), which states, “Property in subsection (a) of this section shall not be subject to any existing or future joint annexation agreement entered into between the Town of Summerfield and the City of Greensboro and shall not be subject to the extraterritorial powers of any municipality.”
Summerfield and Greensboro have a joint annexation agreement that would mean that even though Couch’s land was no longer in Summerfield it couldn’t be annexed by Greensboro.
This section making the 973 acres not subject to the joint annexation agreement between Summerfield and Greensboro opens up the possibility of the land being annexed by Greensboro. According to the current annexation laws in the state, Couch would have to request that his land be annexed by Greensboro and the Greensboro City Council would have to be convinced that adding the proposed mixed-use development would benefit the city.
In 2020, Couch met with City of Greensboro officials to discuss extending water and sewer lines to his property in Summerfield. At the time, City Manager David Parrish said that the City of Greensboro had no intention of spending tax dollars to extend water and sewer lines outside the city for a residential development.
House Bill 5 changes that dynamic considerably, since it opens the possibility of the land being annexed by Greensboro, and the city regularly extends water and sewer service to residential developments that have been annexed.
Residents of Guilford County, which includes Greensboro, Summerfield, Oak Ridge and High Point should bombard the email boxes of Phil Berger (Senate) and Tim Moore (House) requesting that this gift by Phil Berger to his friend and campaign contributor, David Couch, be voted down. The public cannot allow any politician to show such favoritism to an ordinary and, in this case, a rich individual. It is cronyism writ large.
Tim.Moore@ncleg.gov
Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov
Lol…Greensboro can only see more tax dollars for personal pet projects and other waste. Water and sewer should be no problem. This is Greensboro…you know how it works.
So does the fact that Greensboro is extending water and sewer to the Randolph mega site mean future annexation to that large tract? Why else would they’d the money without future intentions to annex the land? Correct?
We plan on extending the city boarder to all the county lines west is complete working on east, north is complete and now here comes the south our future plans for Julian is to drop about 1,500 houses in the next five years that boarder the plant and work our way back down liberty road providing infrastructure and annexing more land as we go that’s why Southeast schools has not made upgrades because we will save them for when we know how many will be attending after the plan goes into affect Guilford county does not facilitate small town life. It’s a hindrance to our growth and will not be allowed Forsyth has all the small towns you need!
Keep crowing your bullsh$$ city. You obviously did not live here 10-12 years ago when we had a drought and had water restrictions. Greensboro has no natural water sources it all depends on 2 river. the Randleman lake is not the answer, the Deep river the feeds it has had a slow river fall for several years. We can’t service what we have definitely don’t need any more especially the cockroach lifestyle you promote
I like to formally welcome you to Greensboro, thank you for being apart of our growing and prosperous city we have long admired the people of summerfield and are glad to have you on board as we become a premier city in the Southeast. I could not thank Senator Berger enough for his vision and uprightness. Skip, Mrs Hayes, and the Greensboro city council will all have a hand In Helping shape the future of Summerfield. Again welcome and thank you
Everyone should read the letter Berger sent to the mayor of Summerfield. He set the stage for every town being de-annexed and being taken over by Greensboro as well as the rest of the County without their approval. Eventually, all of Guilford County that’s not currently annexed by some town will be Greensboro, and possibly areas that have been annexed as in this case. Berger also put on notice that this could happen all over the state. This was a very dangerous precedence. (I hope that was the right word). Basically, he said that he, and the state, had a responsibility to take over town and city affairs if they felt that the people running the places weren’t doing the job he or the state legislature felt they should be doing. That’s not right.
In North Carolina municipalities are created by the state legislature. The current regulations require that within three years of incorporation a municipality must provide at least four of these eight services – police, fire, garbage pick-up, water and sewer, street maintenance, street construction, street lighting and zoning.
The Town currently supplies the planning portion and contracts for police, fire and garbage pickup, fulfilling their obligations. The current budget, available on the Town’s website, includes discussion on adding water service in the future, but it would require an assessment of thousands of dollars per resident to get started. How many residents, do you think, are going to vote for that?
The biggest sticking point with Mr. Couch’s project has always been the density of the apartment portion of the development. He could have chosen townhomes, condominiums or multiplex patio homes, but wants the forever-income of high-density, for-rent apartments. How many of you single-family homeowners want multi-story, large parking lot, heavily lighted for security apartment buildings right at your side door? Neither do the residents of Summerfield. Thanks to the mighty Phil Berger, he will now have to annex into Greensboro to get Greensboro water and sewer, raising his taxes and fees, but he’ll get his beloved apartments. Good luck to Mr. Couch and his endeavors.
Greensboro will never become a premier city. With the change in demographics, there will be less educated and less informed voters. This portends the election of candidates who are not qualified to hold office; candidates who are elected based on superficial characteristics unrelated to character and ability. One man, one vote only works if there is an informed citizenry.
Election of candidates who are not qualified to hold office? Um, I believe we’re already there. Have been for some time.
The worst is yet to come.
Couldn’t put it better.
Welcome to little Portland.
2 more murders in Greensboro this weekend big city
That makes 53 and counting with 3 1/2 months to go. What a visionary you are.
Funny thing bug City you were spouting off about your Greensboro vision compared to Durham after 53 murders this year you’re being kinda quiet. What’s up cat got your tongue
How Ironic and hilarious that Phil Berger is screwing the very same republicans who voted for him. First Rockingham county with his son doing daddy’s dirty work, and now Summerfield. Congratulations on your 15,000 new residents and future casino. You got exactly who you elected.