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GREENSBORO — Oak Ridge and Kernersville appear poised to begin a dispute over a swath of land along the Forsyth-Guilford County line.

Neither side claims to have firm plans for the Guilford County land, but they have conflicting ideas of what it should become. The dilemma appears to be between encouraging growth or keeping development out of rural areas.

Kernersville Mayor Dawn Morgan says that the town hopes to be a part of “responsible growth and development” in Guilford County.

Oak Ridge Mayor Ray Combs says the area is “rural and we’d like to keep it that way.” The town asked Sen. Phil Berger to file a bill in the General Assembly supporting the town’s cause.

Guilford County takes up the issue next.

Steve Arnold, vice chairman of the Guilford Board of Commissioners, said Tuesday that he’d like elected officials and administrators from both towns and the county to hash out a solution. For example, High Point’s boundaries stretch over four counties, he said, and the city has agreements with those other areas.

Kernersville in Forsyth County has two claims in western Guilford County, including a firing range and a former landfill. The town also has an annexation agreement with Greensboro for the area.

Morgan said growth there would help Oak Ridge and Guilford County as well, through tax revenue and jobs. The area also stands to have plenty of growth as a FedEx hub develops and other industry moves to the area.

Combs says the land the town wants to oversee wouldn’t be in the high-growth area, but north of County Line Road, at least a mile from Kernersville’s stakes in Guilford County.

Oak Ridge, incorporated in 1998, asked Berger this year to file a bill allowing the town to have extraterritorial jurisdiction over land near its borders. The town can’t annex, but giving Oak Ridge power to stretch its planning area would also allow it to determine or prevent some types of growth.

“When (Sen.) Phil Berger submitted the bill on our behalf, he suggested that we get a resolution of support from Stokesdale, Kernersville and the county,” Combs said.

Stokesdale supported the idea. Kernersville instead passed a resolution against the Oak Ridge request.

“We’ve got to look out for Kernersville and quality growth in our area, for not just the next 10 years, but in the 50-year time frame,” Morgan said.

Berger said he was surprised by Kernersville’s opposition. He spoke to town officials before introducing the measure.

“In conversations I had with Kernersville, they had no interest in that area and could not provide water and sewer to it,” Berger said.

He said he hoped to move the bill forward to a committee hearing and full Senate vote before a key deadline May 14. It would then go to the House for consideration.

Staff writer Mark Binker contributed to this report.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com