A small town in Brunswick County got the green light to extend its city limits for the first time in 20 years, and officials wasted no time in doing so.
According to Belville Mayor Mike Allen, in the early 2000s – following years of fighting over property in northern Brunswick County – an agreement was reached between the towns of Leland and Belville that limited the towns’ boundaries and annexation power. That agreement stripped Belville of its ability to annex land and was signed by the towns before Allen’s time as mayor. Allen said the agreement came to an end in mid-December 2023 .
Immediately, the town received its first annexation request in two decades. Property owner Walter Burckhalter submitted a petition for voluntary annexation into the town of Belville on Dec. 15, regarding two parcels of land on Chappell Loop Road. The land – at 9971 and 9981 Chappell Loop Road – was located in unincorporated Brunswick County.
The Belville Board of Commissioners met in a special meeting Wednesday to approve the voluntary annexation request. Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Bost and Commissioner Morgan Mehler were not present, but Allen and commissioners Ryan Merrill and Hunter Smith unanimously approved the request.