The Aberdeen Town Board set the wheels in motion Monday night for the first involuntary annexation since 1990.

The board voted on Monday night to adopt a resolution of intent and an annexation report for two areas.

Under the proposal, the town would take in property on Chapel Greens Place and along Pleasant and East Oaks streets. The area is partly bordered by N.C. 211 and Pee Dee Road.

The other area is the Forest Hills subdivision off U.S. 1. It covers the Thrushwood Road area, and includes lots on John McQueen, Wildwood and Longleaf roads. A few pockets of lots in that subdivision are already in the town limits. Those property owners petitioned the town to annex them.

"We're trying to make our borders more regular by bringing in the entire neighborhood rather than just individual homes," said Mayor Betsy Mofield in an interview Tuesday. "Our tax rate is moderate enough so that it is actually cheaper to live in town, rather than out of town."

A map showing the areas and a list of names is posted in the Planning Department so residents can see if they are in the affected areas, said Town Planning Director Kathy Liles.

The Bethesda Farms and Brownwood areas on Bethesda Road were annexed in the mid-1980s and contained slightly more than 100 houses. In 1990, Aberdeen annexed the Midmar Street area and the One Down street area, on the north side of Midway.

"Once we showed them how the services they wouldn't have to pay out-of-town rates justified the tax amount, it went relatively smoothly," says Mofield, who was the Aberdeen town commissioner at the time, of the Bethesda and Brownwood annexation.

The town will send notices to residents and property owners in the current proposed annexation areas.

A public information meeting will be held April 20, and the Town Board will hold a required public hearing May 4. The board will consider adopting the annexation ordinance May 18. The ordinance would take effect June 30.

A copy of the annexation report is available for public review at Town Hall on Poplar Street.

No new properties will be added to the list to be annexed. The total area to be annexed comes to about 103 acres.

Aberdeen will construct sewer lines within a year of the effective annexation date to provide sewer service to the annexed areas not already served by the town.

Residents of the two areas who already receive water and sewer services from the town will see a reduction in their rates, and will receive twice-a-week trash pickup service. Out-of-town customers pay higher rates. The town will also provide police protection.

"Right now, there are people who live right across from the Aberdeen police station who have to call the Sheriff's Department if they have a problem because they're not in town limits," said Town Manager Bill Zell. "It just makes more sense to bring them into the town."

Contact Laura Eddy by e-mail at laura@thepilot.com.