Annexation Agreement

Boundary agreements, also known as annexation agreements, are common growth management and growth control tools for communities to use for planning purposes.

The Town of Davidson has a boundary agreement with Charlotte, Cornelius, and Huntersville on the south side of the town’s jurisdiction. Davidson also has a boundary agreement on the east side of its jurisdiction with the City of Kannapolis. The town does not have a boundary agreement to the north where the jurisdictions of Mooresville and Iredell County meet Davidson. 

Both Mooresville and Davidson recently completed comprehensive planning efforts for future growth of the two jurisdictions. During those processes, the staffs discussed a proposed boundary agreement concept and developed a proposed boundary line for the comprehensive planning efforts. 

As a part of these discussions, water and sewer utility service planning was taken into account as it relates to future growth areas. That water and sewer service consideration helped develop the proposed boundary line. The effect of this proposed boundary line is that a line would be established where both Mooresville and Davidson could plan for and grow to in the future and not encroach into one another’s future growth areas. 

Under this proposed boundary line agreement, for the properties that are in Iredell County in Davidson’s future growth area but not yet in the Town of Davidson, there would be very little effect initially. These properties would remain in Iredell County zoning jurisdiction and would not come into Davidson’s zoning jurisdiction or city limits at this time. The properties in Iredell County would only come into Davidson’s jurisdiction in the future if the property owners requested voluntary annexation or requested water and sewer services from Charlotte Water. In the event property owners requested water and sewer services from Charlotte Water, the town’s policy of requiring voluntary annexation of those properties would then be in effect.

Separately, Charlotte Water, the utility that provides public water and sewer services to properties within the city limits of Davidson per the 1984 agreement between the City of Charlotte and the Town of Davidson, has completed the water line extension project north from the city limit line to the Davidson Pointe neighborhood, which is in the Davidson city limits (in Iredell County) but did not have water service provided by Charlotte Water.  This extension and its benefits were previously discussed and approved by the town board.

Town staff discussed with Charlotte Water the proposed boundary agreement area and it was determined that this water line extension could serve this future growth area within Davidson’s boundary in addition to Davidson Pointe.  

In conjunction with these planning efforts, it was also identified through the town’s most recent two comprehensive plans supported by resident input that this area could support employment center uses. In partnership with the Lake Norman Economic Development Commission, discussions have been held with a large property owner in this growth area to consider employment center economic development uses in the future instead of single-family residential.  

Annexation Agreement with Mooresville - Map

To view a PDF version of the above map, please click here. 

Since this boundary agreement was discussed by the town board over two years ago, it has been delayed by several factors. One was the intentional completion of the water line extension project. We have continued conversations with Charlotte Water, making sure the utility services are available for this area. In addition, we have continued discussions with Town of Mooresville staff on the boundary line and have made some adjustments since the initial configuration. Finally, the pandemic did impact with our focus on other pressing priorities.

Annexation agreements are authorized for local governments by state law under Gen. Statute 160A– 58.21-27.   The statute outlines the contents of agreements and procedures for approval.  A public hearing is required by both local governments prior to entering an agreement which would be approved by ordinance by both governing boards.

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