136-44.50. (See editor's note for act rescinding maps under this Article and moratorium on new maps) Transportation corridor official map act.

(a) A transportation corridor official map may be adopted or amended by any of the following:

(1) The governing board of any local government for any thoroughfare included as part of a comprehensive plan for streets and highways adopted pursuant to G.S. 136-66.2 or for any proposed public transportation corridor included in the adopted long-range transportation plan.

(2) The Board of Transportation, or the governing board of any county, for any portion of the existing or proposed State highway system or for any public transportation corridor, to include rail, that is in the Transportation Improvement Program.

(3) Regional public transportation authorities created pursuant to Article 26 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes or regional transportation authorities created pursuant to Article 27 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes for any portion of the existing or proposed State highway system, or for any proposed public transportation corridor, or adjacent station or parking lot, included in the adopted long-range transportation plan.

(4) The North Carolina Turnpike Authority for any project being studied pursuant to G.S. 136-89.183.

(5) The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for Department projects R-3300 and U-4751.

Before a city adopts a transportation corridor official map that extends beyond the extraterritorial jurisdiction of its building permit issuance and subdivision control ordinances, or adopts an amendment to a transportation corridor official map outside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of its building permit issuance and subdivision control ordinances, the city shall obtain approval from the Board of County Commissioners.

(a1) No property may be regulated under this Article until:

(1) The governing board of the city, the county, the regional transportation authority, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, the Department of Transportation, or any other entity listed in subsection (a) of this section has held a public hearing in each county affected by the map on the proposed map or amendment. Notice of the hearing shall be provided:

a. By publication at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the hearing in a newspaper having general circulation in the county in which the transportation corridor to be designated is located.

b. By two week written notice to the Secretary of Transportation, the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, and the Mayor of any city or town through whose corporate or extraterritorial jurisdiction the transportation corridor passes.

c. By posting copies of the proposed transportation corridor map or amendment at the courthouse door for at least 21 days prior to the hearing date. The notice required in sub-subdivision a. above shall make reference to this posting.

d. By first-class mail sent to each property owner affected by the corridor. The notice shall be sent to the address listed for the owner in the county tax records.

(1a) The transportation corridor official map has been adopted or amended by the governing board of the city, the county, the regional transportation authority, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, the Department, or any other entity listed in subsection (a) of this section.

(2) A permanent certified copy of the transportation corridor official map or amendment has been filed with the register of deeds. The boundaries may be defined by map or by written description, or a combination thereof. The copy shall measure approximately 20 inches by 12 inches, including no less than one and one-half inches binding space on the left-hand side.

(3) The names of all property owners affected by the corridor have been submitted to the Register of Deeds.

(b) Transportation corridor official maps and amendments shall be distributed and maintained in the following manner:

(1) A copy of the official map and each amendment thereto shall be filed in the office of the city clerk and in the office of the district engineer.

(2) A copy of the official map, each amendment thereto and any variance therefrom granted pursuant to G.S. 136-44.52 shall be furnished to the tax supervisor of any county and tax collector of any city affected thereby. The portion of properties embraced within a transportation corridor and any variance granted shall be clearly indicated on all tax maps maintained by the county or city for such period as the designation remains in effect.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the certified copy filed with the register of deeds shall be placed in a book maintained for that purpose and cross-indexed by number of road, street name, or other appropriate description. The register of deeds shall collect a fee of five dollars ($5.00) for each map sheet or page recorded.

(4) The names submitted as required under subdivision (a1)(3) of this section shall be indexed in the "grantor" index by the Register of Deeds.

(c) Repealed by Session Laws 1989, c. 595, s. 1.

(d) Within one year following the establishment of a transportation corridor official map or amendment, work shall begin on an environmental impact statement or preliminary engineering. The failure to begin work on the environmental impact statement or preliminary engineering within the one-year period shall constitute an abandonment of the corridor, and the provisions of this Article shall no longer apply to properties or portions of properties embraced within the transportation corridor. A local government may prepare environmental impact studies and preliminary engineering work in connection with the establishment of a transportation corridor official map or amendments to a transportation corridor official map. When a city or county prepares a transportation corridor official map for a street or highway that has been designated a State responsibility pursuant to G.S. 136-66.2, the environmental impact study and preliminary engineering work shall be reviewed and approved by the Department of Transportation. An amendment to a corridor shall not extend the one-year period provided by this section unless it establishes a substantially different corridor in a primarily new location.

(e) The term "amendment" for purposes of this section includes any change to a transportation corridor official map, including:

(1) Failure of the Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, a city, a county, a regional transportation authority, or any other entity listed in subsection (a) of this section to begin work on an environmental impact statement or preliminary engineering as required by this section; or

(2) Deletion of the corridor from the transportation corridor official map by action of the Board of Transportation, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, or deletion of the corridor from the long-range transportation plan of a city, county, or regional transportation authority by action of the city, county, or regional transportation authority governing Board.

(f) The term "transportation corridor" as used in this Article does not include bikeways or greenways.

(g) The Department of Transportation shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless both of the following:

(1) The City of Wilmington against any claims, civil actions, and proceedings related to or arising out of the City of Wilmington's adoption, filing, or amendment of a transportation corridor official map pursuant to this Article.

(2) The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and its members against any claims, civil actions, and proceedings related to or arising out of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's adoption, filing, or amendment of a transportation corridor official map pursuant to this Article.

(h) No new transportation corridor official map may be adopted pursuant to this section from July 1, 2016, to July 1, 2019.