Please access the following link for the PDF version of this important announcement about the Brightspeed Project beginning soon: https://www.riverbendnc.org/sites/default/files/uploads/site-alert/brightspeed-project.pdf
Construction crews are in River Bend installing fiber lines for Brightspeed. See the attached Community Alert from them. Brightspeed is a private business. They are not working for the Town of River Bend. The town is not paying them and they are not paying the town. We did not request this project. They alone decided to pursue this project in order to expand their business footprint in River Bend. The town does not endorse or recommend Brightspeed in any way. We did issue them an encroachment permit to install their system within the town’s streets, as is required by law. The town has not granted them permission to install anything on or to go upon private property. The town does not have that authority. You, the property owner, gets to control access to your property.
Often, during projects like this, some residents are unclear about what they own. The easy answer to that question is- You only own what is described by the metes and bounds in the deed to your property. Some residents assume their property goes to the edge of the pavement on their street. That is not the case. The streets are owned by the town. By definition the street is not just the paved area. It also includes a strip of land on either side of the pavement. As an example, I have provided a map below showing a random lot in River Bend. The map comes from the Craven County GIS site. The blue box shows the land that is in private ownership. The town does not own any part of the blue box. The green box indicates the portion of the street adjacent to the property which is owned by the town. The resident does not own any part of the green box.
In this particular location, the street is Knollwood Court. It is 50 feet wide. Only a survey from a professional can identify the exact property lines. However, a resident on Knollwood Court could measure 25 feet from the center of the pavement and get a pretty good idea of where their property begins. Be aware that not all streets in River Bend are the same width. Many streets are 60 feet wide. We even have a few that are only 25 feet wide. A typical 60 feet wide street will include a 20 feet wide paved area and a 20 feet wide strip of land on either side. This unpaved area is often called the “shoulder of the road”. It is where water lines, sewer lines, other utilities, mailboxes, street lights, fire hydrants, drainage features, etc. are located.
If you have a problem with the contractor during construction, please call the number on the Community Alert. If the contactor injures your property, call the number. As long as the contractor operates within the town’s streets and follows the terms of the encroachment agreement, we cannot control their actions on your land, and the town is not responsible for their actions on your land. If you are aware of any issues on town property/streets as a result of this project, call Town Hall.
Delane Jackson,
Town Manager
Posted 4-30-26
