The Aberdeen Town Board addressed a wide range of issues during its Jan. 12 meeting, touching on growth management, housing affordability, infrastructure needs, and town facilities, while also handling routine business. Discussions reflected the challenges of managing continued growth while balancing long-term planning and quality of life for residents.
Discussing Affordable Housing
Board members spent significant time discussing “missing middle” housing; housing that is attainable for residents like teachers, nurses, and police officers. The average price of a home in Moore County has hit $400,000, with new developments near Highway 5 listed as high as $500,000, according to the board.
“You know what rent’s going for in my neighborhood?” asked commissioner Teressa V. Beavers. “$2500 to rent a house. That’s crazy.”
Aberdeen Mayor Robert A. Farrell shared his thoughts on the recent county-wide discussions surrounding affordable housing.
“If a contractor wanted to build them, why aren’t they building them?” posed Farrel. “Because they can’t make any money unless they’re subsidized somehow. Somebody’s got to kick in the cost of lumber, 2 by 4s, plywood, and shingles. It’s sky high, and you’re going to ask somebody to come in and build. I’m not opposed to it; I’m just saying if it was reasonable for somebody to do it, why [doesn’t] somebody do it?”
Farrel added that these kinds of projects, in his experience, are not brought to the board. Developers, he says, largely want to focus on more profitable projects.
“The only people that are doing it is Habitat,” added Farrel. “That’s the only people that’s actually doing affordable housing right now. I mean, you can find 50 acres and go out there and put $200,000 houses on it, but who’s the contractor that’s going to do that?”
Town Manager Paul Sabiston noted that the high cost of land and infrastructure makes it difficult for developers to build lower-cost units without either increasing density or receiving some form of subsidy. Sabiston previously presented an in-depth report on Moore market trends and affordable housing in August.
“What’s being brought to us, it’s not people wanting to build $200,000 houses; it’s people wanting us to rezone our land from R20 to R6 to put $500,000 houses and just pack them in closer,” said Beaver. “So it’s not that we’re not always necessarily opposed to builders, it’s that they’re just trying to make money at the expense of our infrastructure being squashed.”
“Nobody’s opposed to affordable housing or workforce housing,” said Farrel in response. “I just don’t see any of it being built when there’s a house on Highway 5 in a new neighborhood going for half a million dollars. Every town in Moore County, everybody’s feeling the same crunch.”
The board will continue conversations on affordable housing in the future as Moore County boards continue to address discrepancies in the housing market.
Progress with Habitat for Humanity
The board took steps to move forward with local development by approving Resolution #2601, which accepts a performance guarantee for infrastructure improvements at Blue’s Corner. The guarantee, totaling $40,906.25, ensures that the developer completes the necessary utilities and roadwork required for the project.
“A request has been made by Habitat for Humanity for acceptance of a performance guarantee for sidewalk installation for the Blue’s Crossing residential subdivision,” explains Planning & Inspections Director Pamela Graham. “The 8-lot subdivision, planned for the intersection of Saunders Boulevard and Midway Road, required no new streets or utility infrastructure and only requires that sidewalks be installed along existing roads, pending NCDOT approval.”
According to Graham, the town had received a cost estimate signed and sealed by the project engineer for these items with a total estimated cost of $32,725.00, and a subdivision bond had been provided at 125% of that amount, as required by the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for a total amount of $40,906.25.
The official resolution reads that “a total amount of $40,906.25 pledged to the Town of Aberdeen will be accepted as financial guarantee for the installation of the proposed infrastructure improvements specified in this action for the Blue’s Corner residential subdivision.”
This approval was part of a consent agenda involving routine items previously vetted by town staff.
Streamlining Planning
Aberdeen’s commissioners also spent time reviewing how they might give clearer direction to the town’s planning staff so development proposals don’t get bogged down early in the process. Graham explained that her team often invests two to three months working with applicants before a project ever reaches the board, only to learn later that commissioners are unlikely to support it. She asked the board to outline expectations more explicitly so staff can steer developers toward ideas that fit the town’s long‑term vision.
Graham noted that many builders push for densities that the current zoning map doesn’t accommodate, and staff needs better tools to explain where such projects could realistically go. She suggested that a more detailed mapping system could help eliminate confusion.
Other Board Business:
Tourism Funding: The board moved ahead with plans to renovate the auditorium at the Old Aberdeen Elementary School. The project is supported by a $120,000 matching grant from the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB).
Financial Standing: The town’s general fund remains strong, with more than $8.3 million in year-to-date revenue through November. ABC revenues and sales tax collections are both trending upward.
Athletic Sponsorships: The town is looking to update its sponsorship packages for local athletic fields. Current fence banner sponsorships range from $800 to $1,500 depending on the location and field visibility.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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