Citizen Advisory Boards

The vacancies that remain available are:

Board of Adjustment:  1 ETJ vacancy
 
Parks & Recreation Commission: 1 ETJ vacancy
 

Apply now

 

For more information, contact Town Clerk Mary Beth Tew at 919-365-3451 or mtew@townofwendellnc.gov

The Town of Wendell has five citizen advisory boards. Each is unique in its size, meeting schedule and purpose; find meeting dates and times in the Town Calendar.  The overall mission is the same: To make Wendell a place in which we can be proud to live, work, play and raise a family. Citizens who serve on these advisory boards perform a community service using their skills, interests and initiatives to make Wendell the “Small Town” with “Big Charm.” 

Printable PDF of the 2023 Citizen Advisory Boards meeting schedules.  

How to get involved:
Whether you are interested in recreational activities, economic development, or land-use practices, the Town of Wendell has opportunities for you to volunteer to share your time and talents. Applications are accepted each spring – date to be announced - for upcoming vacancies.

Things to know about volunteering for a citizen advisory board:
• Most volunteers must live within Wendell’s corporate limits or Wendell’s ETJ*. 
• Terms for Town of Wendell citizen advisory boards begin July 1 and end June 30. 
• Depending on the by-laws of the board, terms may be for either two years or three years. If an appointment is made to a vacated term, the appointee completes the unexpired term. 
• Current Town of Wendell employees are not eligible to volunteer. 
• Applications are a public record. 
• Appointments to citizen advisory boards are made by the Wendell Board of Commissioners during a regular board meeting.

*What is Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)?

Wendell’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) is an area outside of the Town’s limits that will potentially become part of the Town’s limits within the next 10 years and is part of the Town’s municipal planning area. An area within an ETJ is subject to the Town’s zoning and building regulations - not the county’s.

Residents within the Town’s ETJ do not pay Town taxes and may not vote for the Town’s elected officials. However, as an ETJ resident you may serve on the Town’s Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. The Wendell Planning Board makes recommendations to the elected officials for all zoning map and text amendments. They also work on other special projects as directed by the Wendell Board of Commissioners. The Board of Adjustment is responsible for hearing and deciding variances and administrative review of appeals. Persons serving on the Board of Adjustment take an oath of office before serving.

Wendell’s ETJ generally extends to the east on Wendell Blvd to the Little River, to the west on Wendell Boulevard to NC 97, to the south on Eagle Rock Road to Old Nowell Road, and to the north on Marshburn Road short of Buck Stage Trail. The ETJ includes such subdivisions as Blair Hills, Tanners Creek, Wiley Oaks, Arbor Trace, Eagles Crossing, and Eaglewood Farms.

Wendell welcomes residents within the ETJ to become more involved by serving on one of its citizen boards. If you have a question regarding whether or not your home falls within the Town’s ETJ, please contact the Wendell Planning Department at 919-365-4448.

Citizens seeking ETJ appointment to the Board of Adjustment or Planning Board are recommended by the Wendell Town Board of Commissioners. The Wake County Board of Commissioners makes the appointment.

Description of citizen advisory boards:

Appearance Commission 

The Appearance Commission consists of five regular members and two alternate members whose mission is to help provide public art and guide beautification efforts within the Town. Their meetings are held on the first Monday of each month in the Wendell Town Hall. Meetings are open to the public. 

Board of Adjustment

The Board of Adjustment is a seven-member quasi-judicial board that hears appeals to the Wendell Zoning Code. The Board meets once an appeal has been filed with the Wendell Planning Department. Due to the irregular nature of variance and administrative appeal requests, the Board of Adjustment has no regular meeting schedule.  BOA meetings are scheduled by Planning Staff on a case by case basis, based upon the availability of the applicant and Board of Adjustment members. The Board of Adjustment meets in the Wendell Courtroom.

Downtown Development Committee

The purpose for which the Downtown Development Committee is organized is to stimulate Downtown Wendell revitalization through organization: encouraging cooperation and building leadership in the business community; promotion: creating a positive image for downtown by promoting the downtown as an exciting place to live, shop, and invest; and design: improving the appearance of the downtown and to make recommendations for the administration and distribution of funds in connection with the above purposes.

Parks and Recreation Commission

The Parks and Recreation Commission is a seven-member board that meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall's Board Room, 409 Landing View Drive, unless otherwise noticed. The duty of the Parks and Recreation Commission is to provide citizen input in relation to the operation and development of Town-owned park property. The Parks and Recreation Commission also raises tree awareness in Wendell and makes recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on trees located on public property within the town limits to maintain the Tree City USA status of the Town. The Board members serve as the lead for the Town’s Annual Arbor Day celebration.

Planning Board

The Planning Board is a nine-member advisory board that makes recommendations to the Wendell Board of Commissioners on rezonings, ordinance amendments, and land use plans within Wendell's corporate limits and extra-territorial jurisdiction [ETJ]. The Planning Board meets on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Wendell Board Room.