Raleigh, N.C. — A City Council committee on Wednesday called for delaying a proposed extension of Raleigh's extra-territorial jurisdiction boundaries until growth impacts could be studied.

The City Planning Department studied the ETJ growth for more than a year before recently targeting six locations east of the city, totaling about 6,000 acres. ETJ areas are located outside of cities limits but are controlled by municipal zoning regulations.

The City Council must request the ETJ boundary extension from the Wake County Board of Commissioners. But the council's Comprehensive Planning Committee voted Wednesday for a delay.

Councilman Russ Stephenson said he wanted to know how the ETJ extension would affect Raleigh's existing tax base. Councilwoman Nancy McFarlane expressed concern about the impact of adding new customers to the city's Department of Public Utilities.