Southport, NC (WWAY) - The City of Southport is transferring authorities over certain matters to Brunswick County.
The North Carolina General Assembly relinquished Southport's Exterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) effective July 1, 2024. The statute gave Brunswick County 60 days to apply County zoning to the ETJ area. The entire area encompasses 615 Tax Parcels and about 1911.16 acres and covers properties located to the North, East, and West between the City of Southport Limits and the Duke Energy Canal.
The parcels within the former Southport ETJ went to the Brunswick County Planning Board as Rezoning Case #Z-898 on August 12, 2024, at 6 p.m. in the Commissioner's Chambers at the Brunswick County Government Center. The Planning Board tabled three parcels (221OA037, 221LA01501, & 221MC00702) and approved the other 612 parcels. The Planning Board approved staff's recommended zoning for the three parcels during the September 9, 2024 Planning Board Meeting.
A city spokeswoman says: As of August 28, 2024, all inspection, permit, and application requests for new building, planning, and/or zoning projects within the former Southport Extraterritorial Planning Jurisdiction (ETJ), should be submitted to Brunswick County.
The City of Southport is currently transferring all existing open permits to Brunswick County for completion. Permit holders will be notified once the transfer is finalized. Afterward, they will
need to contact Brunswick County Code Administration for further details on the permit and inspection process to complete their project.
Brunswick County Code Administration primarily schedules in-person and virtual inspections through the Brunswick County Permit Portal. This includes any inspection necessary for a building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical/HVAC, or fire permit. All contractors or individuals who need to schedule an inspection for a building permit must create a free account to submit future inspection requests to Code Administration. You can create your account and schedule an inspection through the Permit Portal here.
For questions, contact the applicable Brunswick County department listed below:
* Brunswick County Code Administration (Inspections and Building Permits): 910.253.2021 (Option 2)
* Brunswick County Planning (Plan Applications and Zoning): 910.253.2025