Garner council pauses ETJ expansion request while state and county consider bills; staff will increase outreach

Town staff recommended pausing the Town of Garner’s ETJ expansion request pending the outcome of state legislation and further county-level conversations; council provided consensus direction to pause further action for several weeks or until more information is available.

Town Manager Miller and Assistant Town Manager John Hodges briefed council on recent developments. Hodges said that “House Bill 173 has been filed and has passed the first of three committees in the House,” and explained that Wake County planning staff and the Wake County Planning Board raised concerns from property owners in the requested expansion area. Hodges reported that the planning board identified a path forward that would retain northeast and northwest portions of the town’s request but remove the southwest portion that largely follows the I-540 corridor.

Hodges and Miller said the county planning board’s recommendation would next go to the Wake County Commissioners for additional consideration. Staff recommended a pause to allow the town to monitor House Bill 173 (a proposal to pause ETJ expansions in Wake County for three years) and any other state bills under consideration — including a separate, recently filed measure with statewide reach that would remove ETJ where a county has zoning — and to continue discussions with county staff and commissioners about the appropriate geographic scope.

Council members raised concern about public misunderstanding and urged additional outreach. Several council members recommended in-person meetings in the affected neighborhoods (council members referred specifically to Panther Branch and areas near the southern loop along I-540) so residents could ask questions and hear how ETJ expansion differs from annexation. Staff said they would continue monitoring state and county action, planned to resume detailed conversations this summer if needed, and would organize additional community outreach during the pause.

Staff described technical constraints that could affect future land use, including utility-availability questions and Wake County zoning density limits in areas served without extension of public utilities. Council asked staff to report back after the legislative and county processes clarified options.

No formal council vote was taken; the council indicated consensus to pause further processing of the ETJ expansion request while monitoring House Bill 173, county actions and constituent outreach.