Goldsboro annexes Idlewood subdivision; Stony Creek annexation deferred for railroad signature

The Goldsboro City Council on Sept. 8, 2025, adopted an ordinance to annex roughly 50 acres for the Idlewood subdivision and voted to table a separate, city-initiated annexation for part of Stony Creek until the council’s Oct. 6 meeting.

City staff said the Idlewood petition was a voluntary, contiguous annexation petition submitted by the property owner, Nolan Commercial Contractors Inc., for roughly 50 acres on West U.S. Highway 70 between Carolina Circle and Brentwood Drive. Planning staff told council the petition meets the statutory tests for contiguous annexation and is not a site-plan approval; the annexation would permit future extension of city sewer to the development.

Planning staff said the residential proposal would create about 124 single-family lots with an average lot size near 10,000 square feet. Using preliminary assumptions presented to council — an illustrative home price cited in staff materials and the city’s current tax rate — staff estimated the city tax on a representative $325,000 home at about $2,242.50 and an estimated total buildout value of roughly $40.3 million. City planning recommended approval of the annexation petition.

Engineer John Thomas, representing the petitioner, took no additional remarks during the public hearing. No members of the public spoke during the annexation public hearing. Council then voted to adopt the annexation ordinance; the vote was recorded as unanimous.

Separately, council considered a city-initiated annexation (Stony Creek) on Royal Avenue intended to close a municipal “donut hole.” Staff reported the North Carolina Railroad Company owns an adjacent parcel and its signature on the contiguous-petition paperwork is required for the city to complete the process. Because the railroad’s signature had not been secured, council voted unanimously to table that petition until its Oct. 6 meeting.

Both items were discussed as annexation questions only; neither action approved site plans, construction permits or zoning changes beyond the act of annexation itself. Staff noted fire, police and refuse services would be provided to annexed areas and that water would be supplied through the appropriate water provider once infrastructure extensions were completed.

Council did not record a roll-call listing of individual yes/no votes in the public transcript but stated both decisions passed unanimously.

Looking ahead, staff said the newly annexed Idlewood area would be included in District 1 unless council directs staff otherwise and that subsequent approvals (site plan, utilities extensions, and subdivision plats) will come back to planning and council as required.