Overview
State government policy says cities and towns are the best entities to provide services that are or will likely be urban in character. To facilitate this policy taking place in the real world, N.C. law lets cities and towns expand their boundaries through citizen-initiated and Town-initiated annexation.
In keeping with state policy, Wake County encourages growth close to towns to take advantage of existing and planned infrastructure such as roads and water and sewer lines. The county’s land use plan outlines "urban service areas" that are intended to become urbanized in the foreseeable future.
Learn more by watching a video about annexation.
Comprehensive Annexation Program
The Town has developed a Comprehensive Annexation Program to guide future annexation decisions and to provide for an orderly and predictable extension of Cary’s municipal boundaries.
The annexation program identifies annexation study areas, evaluates these areas based upon criteria that objectively determines which properties are appropriate to annex and why, and provides possible time frames during which Town-initiated annexation for each area will likely occur.
Staff has identified 3,243 parcels in Cary's existing urban service area that qualify for annexation. The program’s phasing plan includes the following timeframe for each parcel's potential annexation: 2007-2011, 2012-2016, and beyond 2016. Each timeframe is a general estimate and may be changed in future reviews of the plan.
The Comprehensive Annexation Program will be reviewed by the Town at least every two years for possible modifications.
Annexation Law
Read about state law and policy on annexation, including the authority given to municipalities, the rationale for that authority, and the criteria for bringing areas within Town boundaries.
Contact
Planning Department
Town of Cary
P.O. Box 8005
Cary, NC 27512-8005
(919) 469-4082
annexation@townofcary.org