A decision on the proposed expansion of the Penick Village continuing care retirement community has been pushed to October after Southern Pines residents raised concerns over traffic, density, and the project’s visual impact during a nearly four-hour discussion on Tuesday.
Though the Town of Southern Pines Council Regular Business Meeting itself lasted just over six and a half hours, more than half of that time was spent discussing the Penick Village expansion.
The proposal
The plan, submitted by Koontz Jones Design + V3 Companies LLC on behalf of Penick Village Inc., seeks to create a Planned Development district that would unify zoning across about 44 acres between East Connecticut Avenue and East Delaware Avenue. The district would encompass the existing 31.5-acre Penick Village campus and approximately 7 acres from the adjacent Shibui Gardens properties.
The conceptual plans propose phased development consisting of “renovation to existing facilities, construction of new housing types (townhomes, duplexes, and single-family cottages), and improved pedestrian connectivity throughout the campus.”
Penick Village has operated since the 1960s and currently offers independent living, assisted living, memory support, nursing care, rehabilitation, and home care services. According to the town’s staff report, the purpose of the application is to provide a unified entitlement framework for the existing retirement community and support its ongoing operations and future growth.
Town staff said the plan’s compact residential clusters and preservation of natural elements align with the town’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and that the design also retains large green buffers and open space in keeping with the existing layout.
Figure via Town of Southern Pines.
The property also falls within two character districts. The Penick Village campus is in the Horse Country Character District, which focuses on rural landscapes and equestrian access, though the site has contained multi-story buildings for more than 50 years. Shibui Gardens lies in the Suburban Settlement Character District, which allows for shopping centers, offices, single-family homes, and apartment complexes.
Because of the discrepancy, town staff recommends reclassifying the existing Penick Village campus from Horse Country to Suburban Settlement.
Other details of the proposal include a request to reduce the minimum brick requirement for exterior façades from 80%, the standard for commercial buildings in Southern Pines, to 25%. Town staff indicated support for the reduction but would like to know what materials would be substituted before making any decisions.
Community and town feedback
While the project has received support from the Southern Pines Planning Board, which found it generally consistent with the comprehensive plan and previously voted unanimously in favor, it has also raised concerns from Southern Pines residents.
Council members heard from both supporters and opponents during Tuesday’s meeting. Residents have written letters, met in person with officials, and signed up to speak at meetings to make their voices heard.
“I know you’re passionate about it, but please don’t speak from the audience,” Southern Pines Mayor Taylor Clement cautioned the zealous crowd.
Supporters pointed to the benefits of expanding senior living options within an existing care network and the project’s use of infill development rather than new suburban expansion.
Opponents, though, urged the town to slow the process and reconsider the impact on the surrounding area. In public comments over recent months, residents have cited concerns over stormwater management, construction traffic, density, and increased vehicle traffic once the expansion is complete. Several have also raised issues with the scale of buildings and their potential visual impact on adjacent residential streets, particularly along East Delaware Avenue.
A traffic analysis conducted by Kimley-Horn and included in the staff report projected that the redevelopment would increase the total number of units from 310 to 474 but would add only 122 daily vehicle trips. The same study found that peak morning and evening trips could decrease slightly compared to current conditions. It recommended relocating or adding a stop sign near the intersection of North Ridge, East Delaware, and Youngs Road.
Some residents questioned the report’s findings, expressing skepticism that more housing units could lead to fewer peak-hour trips. Others said the analysis did not match their lived experience of traffic in the area.
On August 1, an adjacent property owner contacted planning staff to request a meeting about additional concerns not raised at the Planning Board hearing. Town staff met with the residents and compiled their concerns into a list that was provided to the applicant’s technical representative.
However, planning staff stated that their role was to facilitate discussion and that the list did not represent a change in their recommendation for approval.
After nearly four hours of discussion, Mayor Clement continued the public hearing for 60 days, setting it to resume at the Oct. 14 regular business meeting. The delay will give the applicant time to address resident concerns, make possible adjustments to the plan, and return with updated information for the council to consider.
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~ Article by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Photos courtesy Town of Southern Pines.
