With overwhelming citizen support, the Watauga County Board of commissioners passed a moratorium on building any new:
asphalt plants, electricity generating facilities, propane or gasoline bulk storage facilities, chip mills, explosives manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, chemical storage facilities, fuel oil bulk storage facilities, electric substations, cement mixing facilities, and commercial and industrial development with an aggregate building footprint of 50,000 square feet
in Boone’s recently obliterated ETJ. Those who spoke were described in the Watauga Democrat as “vexed” and “anxious about what will come in place of the ETJ.”
