The Pinehurst Village Council voted Tuesday to apply for a $470,000 Community Development Block Grant to pave and reconstruct Gaines Road in the Jackson Hamlet community.
Jackson Hamlet is a small community in an area just south of the village limits. In recent years, residents have struggled due to Gaines Road falling into disrepair.
The vote followed a public hearing at which several Jackson Hamlet residents and community advocates spoke in support of the effort. The grant, if awarded, would fund paving for the unpaved section of Gaines Road, as well as portions of Hazelnut Lane and Armstrong Road, which the Village added to the proposal.
Village Manager Doug Willardson recounted that the project was officially set in motion when James Huey of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice contacted him earlier this year about road conditions, and a potential solution was discovered.
“We traded emails back and forth and ultimately landed on the best course, which was to apply for a community development block grant,” Willardson said. “We are in that process. It requires two public hearings: we held one last week at the Jackson Hamlet Community Center, and then we’re holding one again tonight.”
The initial grant request was set at $360,000 but was raised to $470,000 to include the two additional roads. Willardson said the project’s goal is to bring the road up to North Carolina Department of Transportation standards so the state can maintain it permanently.
“The main issue here is that whenever there’s a big flooding event or anything, essentially the North Carolina Department of Transportation is not willing to maintain the road,” Huey explained. “They’re not willing to maintain the road until it’s brought up to their minimum standards. And so, once it’s brought up to the minimum standards, through hopefully that application and receiving this grant, the idea is that the DOT would adopt it into their network and then regularly maintain it. Because as of right now, it’s functionally impassable.”
Residents who spoke at the meeting reiterated that the road’s condition has long been a problem, especially during heavy rains, when flooding makes the dirt road nearly unusable.
Thomas Tyson, speaking on behalf of Jackson Hamlet residents, thanked the council for taking up the project.
“On behalf of the residents of Jackson Hamlet, we want to extend our sincere thanks for applying for this block grant,” said Tyson. “It’s a long-awaited requirement that’s been occurring for some time now. And to get to this point, it just seems to be wonderful. I’d like to thank Mr. Willardson for coming out to the citizens and explaining the procedure for getting a block grant, and extend to the Village of Pinehurst our sincere thanks for applying for this grant.”
Despite the community’s proximity to Aberdeen, Pinehurst fire officials were able to confirm that the Jackson Hamlet community is within the Pinehurst Fire District, and paving the road would allow easier and safer access for emergency services.
The council also clarified how the project would be managed. Willison said the village would serve as the fiscal agent, working with DOT to hire a contractor and oversee construction.
When asked about the timeline, Willardson answered, “The application is due by the end of October, [and] we expect to hear back by the end of the calendar year. If approved, we would move forward right away.”
The council voted unanimously to approve the amended resolution, authorizing the grant submission and certifying compliance with state and federal regulations.
“Let’s hope for the best,” Mayor Patrick Pizzella said after the vote. “We’ll certainly keep the Jackson Hamlet community informed as it progresses.”
If awarded, the federal grant would pave the way for long-needed improvements to one of the area’s few remaining unpaved roads, potentially ending years of accessibility and maintenance challenges for Jackson Hamlet residents.
Want Moore news that matters? Please click here to sign up for the free Sandhills Sentinel e-newsletter.
~ Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
