The Town of Southern Pines held public hearings April 12 at its business meeting. The town council opened the meeting with an open public hearing where residents could speak on any subject, and the majority spoke on development.
Elizabeth May, a horse owner, spoke about the rural equestrian Unified Development Ordinance code being changed to rural estate and how the change impacts safety. She said development on Camp Easter Road was a mistake. The horse owner said horses and development is a mix-match of uses and places people and horses in danger.
Lucy Mills Parsons, a horse owner who established her credentials with a list of academic achievements, said the local support services for equestrians enabled her students and horses to thrive and be winners. She said the council members need to support the equestrian community, and the most important need for the equestrians is a quiet environment because horses are fight-or-flight animals. Their anatomy works with their instincts to bolt and whirl, endangering the horse, rider, and community. She said without compatible land uses, equestrians will leave the area.
A resident spoke about the threat of gentrification by development raising property values, and displacing neighboring property owners who cannot afford higher property taxes. The resident said the term gentrification stems from the term gentry, meaning to rise in social status. The resident said the town is continuing to practice gentrification because it is developing property.
A resident said properties in Black neighborhoods are targeted by predatory developers to make millions at their expense. The resident said the council is more concerned with pleasing developers than being concerned about the erasure of the Black West Southern Pines community.
Keith Moneymaker, of Pinehurst, said he does not support Target and more development because it is forcing others out of their apartments. He said when apartments increase in rent from $1,000 to $1,500, it’s forcing people out. He said people have trouble finding affordable housing.
A resident spoke about increases in commuter traffic with more development.
Kim Cotty said no one supports more apartments. She said she lives on one end of Morganton Road and works on the other, and traffic is horrendous. She said she wants a moratorium on apartments.
During the scheduled public hearing on specific topics, the planning board shared concerns about the western area of property zoned rural equestrian next to a proposed development on Camp Easter Road for a private Catholic school, athletic fields, a cemetery, rectory, and church on the rural estate zoned property. The rural estate zoned property allows civic and school development.
The planning board said the plans were inconsistent with rural equestrian zoning, so the proposed development’s parking area was changed to appease rural equestrian zoning needs, using existing trees as a buffer with a swath 200 feet wide.
Bogle Firm Architecture shared information on the proposed St. John Paul II Catholic School project, representing Reverend John J. Forbes.
Pete Bogle said the town codes shared a definition of what is horse country, and the Pine Barrens neighborhood was not included.
Bogle said the town approved previous development plans for a school in 2002, and the western parcel was purchased later in 2012.
Two residents spoke in favor of the church development, considering the other allowed uses including golf, mobile home parks and dog kennels.
The pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Pinehurst, spoke in favor saying membership growth exceeded abilities for services, cemetery space and parking availability in existing Catholic churches.
The principal of St. John Paul II Catholic School spoke in favor considering there was already an equestrian riding nearby.
Kelly Miller, who sold the property to the church, said he came to speak about traffic concerns, and after hearing all the other speakers, he wanted it to work out for everyone.
An attorney representing Pine Barren residents with property adjoining the church property asked for a continuance based on the late hour, and the council agreed.
In the opening public hearing, two residents spoke against the church development.
Chris Smithson spoke against the council bowing down to attorney threats and recommended rezoning instead of “all these convoluted steps.”
In action items, the council approved a permit to renovate a 3,100 square-foot commercial restaurant at 210 West Pennsylvania Ave.
The council approved a permit for a 4,948 square-foot commercial restaurant at 265 Turner Street, which will be a Chick-fil-A.
On May 10 at 6 p.m. at the next regular meeting, the council will share more details on the proposed municipal service district where the Target is planned. The district’s purpose is to create a tax rate to cover infrastructure costs.
At the May 10 meeting, the council will continue the proposal for the Catholic church development.
In the consent agenda, the council approved transferring $50,000 from the Recreation Budget to the Recreation Improvement Fund for the Whitehall Master Plan.
After the opening public hearing, the council approved the Ace Hardware planned development.
Randy Saunders, the owner of the property, said the present Ace Hardware will become something else and does not have a new tenant in place. Saunders said the new Ace Hardware is needed to make room for more employees and merchandise.
Saunders said he lives in Whispering Pines, is not a developer, and if there are questions, he welcomes the opportunity to assist.
The existing Ace Hardware is 20,000 square feet, with 3,500 square feet of greenhouse and 6,500 square feet of garden space.
The proposed new Ace Hardware is 53,000 square feet, with 8,500 square feet of greenhouse and 16,000 square feet of garden space.
Bob Koontz of Koontz Jones Design reviewed changes to the plans to meet airport concerns. The concerns being addressed may be reviewed here.
Neighboring property owners voiced support for the Ace Hardware planned development.
There was one speaker on the scheduled public hearing for the town to change to nonpartisan plurality method voting.
Details of the voting method change may be read here.
The council will consider adopting the new voting method at its regular meeting on May 10.
Chris Smithson, a former council member, said the change to nonpartisan plurality method voting was a drastic idea to a rare occurrence, (when fewer than usual citizens voted) and the council needed to heed caution. He said the two powers of the mayor are to declare a state of emergency and to run a meeting and said the town has never had a mayor that was not a member of the same church.
Feature photo: Ariel image of St. John Paul II Catholic School. Photo provided by Town of Southern Pines.
~ Written by Sandhills Sentinel Journalist Stephanie M. Sellers. Contact her at [email protected]
