Public Improvements

Sec. 5.1. Street Improvements; Assessment of Costs

In addition to any authority which is now or may hereafter be granted by general law to the town for making street improvements, the town council is hereby authorized to make street improvements and to assess the cost thereof against abutting property owners in accordance with the provisions of sections 5.1 through 5.6 herein.

Sec. 5.2. When Petition Unnecessary

The town council may order street improvements and assess the cost thereof against the abutting property owners, exclusive of the costs incurred at street intersections, according to one or more of the assessment bases set forth in G.S 160A-216 et seq. without the necessity of a petition, upon the finding by the board as a fact:

• (a) That the street improvement project does not exceed 1,200 linear feet; and
• (b) That such street or part thereof is unsafe for vehicular traffic, and it is in the public interest to make such improvement; or
• (c) That it is in the public interest to connect two streets, or portions of a street already improved; or
• (d) That it is in the public interest to widen a street, or part thereof, which is already improved, provided, that assessments for widening any street or portion of street without a petition shall be limited to the cost of widening and otherwise improving such street in accordance with the street classification and improvement standards established by the town’s thoroughfare or major street plan for the particular street or part thereof to be widened and improved under the authority granted by this article.

Sec. 5.3. Street Improvement Defined

For the purposes of this article, the term "street improvement" shall include grading, regrading, surfacing, resurfacing, widening, paving, repaving, the acquisition of right-of-way, and the construction or reconstruction of curbs, gutters and street drainage facilities.

Sec. 5.4. Sidewalks, Assessment of Costs

In addition to any authority which is now or may hereafter be granted by general law to the town for making sidewalk improvements, the town council is hereby authorized without the necessity of a petition, to make or to order to be made sidewalk improvements or repairs according to standards and specifications of the town, and to assess the total cost thereof against abutting property owners, according to one or more of the assessment bases set forth in G.S 160A-216 et seq.; provided, however, that regardless of the assessment basis or bases employed, the town council may order the cost of sidewalk improvements made only on one side of a street to be assessed against property owners abutting both sides of such street.

Sec. 5.5. Assessment Procedure

In ordering street and sidewalk improvements without a petition and assessing the cost thereof under authority of this article, the town council shall comply with the procedure provided by G.S 160A-216 et seq. except those provisions relating to the petition of property owners and the sufficiency thereof.

Sec. 5.6. Effect of Assessments

The effect of the act of levying assessments under the authority of this article shall for all purposes be the same as if the assessments were levied under authority of G.S 160A-216 et seq.

The title to the site or property and any buildings for public health center or clinic purposes constructed thereon shall be owned and held by the Town of La Grange and the County of Lenoir in proportion and in ratio to the amounts which each such authority or board shall appropriate for the construction and the purchase of the site of the public health center or clinic heretofore mentioned.