The Southern Pines Town Council tackled a wide-ranging agenda during its six-and-a-half-hour Regular Business Meeting on Tuesday. Throughout the meeting, several topics recurred, including approving multiple residential developments, reviewing commercial site plans, and weighing environmental concerns tied to federally protected species.
North Hardin Street housing
A 0.539-acre parcel on North Hardin Street was rezoned at the request of Tony Fairley, acting as an authorized agent for Sandhills Community Action Program Inc. The project will consist of two buildings, each containing two units, and could be rented as duplexes or sold as townhomes.
According to the official plan, the proposal fits within the town’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan and West Southern Pines Character District guidelines, which encourage “missing middle” housing—options between single-family homes and large apartment complexes—to improve affordability and promote “diverse housing needs.”
While the applicant has described the homes as affordable, it is not yet clear whether they will be government-subsidized or privately sold/managed.
“West Southern Pines holds a unique place in North Carolina’s history as one of the first incorporated African American towns in the state,” writes the Sandhills Community Action Program. “Over the years, the community has faced challenges, including economic disparities and limited housing options. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan identifies the necessity to diversify housing types to meet these evolving needs.”
Each unit would be roughly 1,170 square feet. The design includes a 10-foot undisturbed buffer along three sides of the property, with existing trees of six inches in diameter or greater preserved.
Renders of the new houses on North Hardin Street via Town of Southern Pines.
However, the council was contacted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, informing them that the lot is located in what is called a “red zone” for the federally protected red-cockaded woodpecker.
“I do want to have a conversation sometime with [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] because this is one of those mission creeps,” said council member Brandon Goodman. “I believe that where this was an unbureaucratic, easy process, that’s now turned into an ever-increasing cost and time.”
Goodman later added, “It’s not the town’s requirement to enforce the Endangered Species Act. That’s what this is about.”
The council agreed to include the survey requirement as a condition of approval, but only if necessary and depending on further discussions with federal wildlife officials.
A motion was made, approved, and the rezoning may move forward.
Murray Hill development
The council also approved a preliminary plat for a 20-unit townhome development and one single-family home on Murray Hill Road.
This project, too, promotes middle home types. However, residents of this new development would be subject to covenants, conditions, and restrictions as put forth by a homeowner’s association.
The two parent tracts currently contain natural wooded areas and two existing single-family dwellings with sheds. The plan divides the two wooded tracts, which currently total 2.06 acres. Among the revisions made since a previous discussion in July were agreements regarding rerouting driveways to minimize impact on traffic and adding sidewalks with flexibility to avoid cutting mature trees.
The approval came with two conditions: preserving all existing trees 10 inches in diameter or larger unless removal is necessary for construction, and conducting a red-cockaded woodpecker assessment before lot clearing.
Council member Ann Petersen, Treasurer, remained dissatisfied with the scale of tree removal. “I don’t know at what point we’ve taken down enough trees and flooded enough land,” Petersen said. “I think that we could build around trees more than take them down.”
The motion passed, and Petersen’s was the only dissenting vote.
The development’s location relative to Murray Hill Road via Town of Southern Pines.
Additional developments: Hyundai and Tommy’s Car Wash
In addition to the discussed housing projects, the council also voted favorably for progress on two businesses: Tommy’s Car Wash and Pinehurst Hyundai.
For the car wash, Bob Koontz of Carolina Car Wash LLC submitted a preliminary development plan for a 1.84-acre site on the south side of Morganton Road between Patriot Boulevard and Carolina Green Parkway. The express facility will be primarily drive-through, with a small public interior space housing a mat-washing area.
Council members previously questioned details about the project, including chemical use. Project representatives confirmed the products would be biodegradable and that the design will allow the facility to capture and reuse some of its water.
All conditions put forth by the council were met, and the project will be moving forward.
The council also approved an architectural compliance permit for a planned 23,688-square-foot Hyundai dealership at 1480 U.S. 1.
Hyundai representatives provided updated renderings showing changes meant to better align the building with the community’s character. Those included brick cornices, soldier-course brickwork, window sills, faux windows, and additional brick pilasters. The new design also replaced some metal elements with brick, increased the brick percentage on certain façades, and lightened the color palette.
The new look was described as being “a little bit more Southern Pines-y.”
Council members said the changes, though subtle, improved the building’s appearance and made it more in-keeping with the town’s vision. As such, the motion to approve the dealership’s architectural compliance permit passed unanimously.
A view of the dealership’s lot via Town of Southern Pines.
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~ Article by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021. Photos via Town of Southern Pines.
