The Southern Pines Town Council moved forward with several local development projects at its recent meeting, including an annexation for the Moore County Humane Society and the next phase of a major industrial expansion.
Humane Society Expansion Moves Forward
The council unanimously approved a voluntary annexation request for a 12.47-acre parcel at 7920 Aviation Drive owned by the Moore County Humane Society.
Planning Director BJ Grieve explained that the organization, which is already constructing a new facility on the site, required the annexation to connect to the town’s municipal water system.
Town Manager Reagan Parsons noted that while the road remains under the jurisdiction of the sheriff or State Highway Patrol, the move tidies up the property’s utility access.
Trimble Plant Road Development
The council also gave a green light to a preliminary development plan for a 21.69-acre site on Trimble Plant Road.
The proposal, submitted by Koontz Jones Design and V3 Companies for JBO Holdings, outlines upgrades to an existing 232,000‑square‑foot building and construction of a new 40,000‑square‑foot industrial “flex” building.
The preexisting building currently houses storage units, warehouse space, and limited office/retail spaces. The newly proposed building would add a large multi-use flex area.
Southern Pines Planner II Mason Mattox writes that the plan stays within the uses already allowed under the project’s previously approved Conceptual Development Plan.
The developer is requesting a few exceptions, including permission for buildings up to 50 feet tall, a total of 182 parking spaces (which is slightly below the project’s cap), and reduced usable open space. The site would keep a 75‑foot natural buffer along U.S. 1, except for an approved stormwater area.
Mattox notes the proposal matches the earlier concept plan and fits the surrounding area without requiring extra utility extensions. No traffic or infrastructure issues were identified during agency review.
The Moore County Economic Development Partnership “expressed strong support due to regional demand for modern shallow bay industrial flex space.”
Town Hall Update
Southern Pines Mayor Taylor Clement provided a brief update about the status of the new town hall. The town officially closed on the new town hall building in December, and is now in a countdown to moving in, though the move is still a few months away due to ongoing renovations.
The new Town Hall, located at 300 SW Broad St, is in the building that was formerly the First Bank Corporate Office property. The town purchased the 21,000-square-foot building for $6.4 million.
Parsons previously said that the new location “allows us to modernize operations, improve accessibility, and house multiple departments in one location, all while avoiding the much higher cost of new construction. By adaptively reusing this building, this approach is faster, more cost-effective, and more sustainable than building new on undeveloped land.”
Public Speakers and Ongoing Housing Discussion
Public speakers spent much of the public speaking period weighing in on recent decisions on housing and infrastructure. Several supported the town’s new “middle housing” ordinance but voiced frustration with council members who opposed it.
After hearing those comments, council member Bob Curtin said the town needs to better explain that “missing middle” refers to a type of housing design, not an income level.
“I’ve talked with some of the planning guys on defining our terms when we use terms like missing middle, because the perception is you’re voting for an affordable home, not a style of home,” said Curtin. “When we use terms like middle, the middle, that’s not middle class, that’s a style of home in this context. … I don’t want people out there thinking that we, as a council, are not voting for middle-class housing. I think that’s what we’re all voting for.”
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Article by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy.
Feature photo via Town of Southern Pines.
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