The Town of Southern Pines voted to rezone property for a new shopping center with a Target store on Morganton Road. The Target store is projected to open on Oct. 23, 2023 if the town approves the shopping center.
The town held public hearings Tuesday, Sept. 14 on several proposed developments, resulting in approved zonings and continuances.
Morganton Park South
After legislative and evidentiary hearings for Koontz Jones Designs’ Planned Development District-Preliminary Development Plan and conceptual plans for Morganton Park South, the zoning was approved, but Phase 1 preliminary plans were continued.
The zoning is Planned Development and rezoning established a Conceptual Development Plan as the initial step in Planned Development Zoning. A breakdown of the land-use by acreage is available on page 174 of the agenda.
Town Manager Reagan Parsons said in a phone call with Sandhills Sentinel the continuance for preliminary plans until Oct. was requested because within the last 48 hours the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) had made contact about traffic concerns. The extra time will allow NCDOT, the planning department and developers “to tidy some things up.”
The shopping center will be between Morganton Road and U.S. 15-501 across from Partner Circle. Details may be accessed beginning on page 135 of the agenda.
“The council approves the shopping center, not the individual box stores,” Mayor Carol Haney said. The shopping center will use natural tree alignment and offer a 10-acre park in its linear park design.
In the video below, John Silverman, of Midland Atlantic Properties, in Ohio, shows a slide presentation of his company’s expertise in shopping centers.
The plan for 700,000 square feet of retail space and 650 residential dwellings on 98.5 acres had traffic concerns, and three citizens voiced issues during the public hearing that were addressed by the planning board, the traffic engineer, and developers. The upcoming NCDOT discussion is expected to resolve traffic issues.
In the two videos below, Southern Pines Planning Director BJ Grieve discusses Morganton Park South’s traffic issues, modification to amenities and compliance list.
Grieve recommended approval of the nine phases of development with 650 residential dwellings with commercial and OS zoning. He said a summary of issues discussed since Feb. 2018 had been resolved.
There will be a second public hearing, and the date will be publicized by the Town of Southern Pines.
470 NW Broad Street
Bob Koontz of Koontz Jones Designs was granted a continuance until Nov. 9 for legislative and evidentiary hearings for a Planned Development Conceptual Plan and development plan concerning 470 NW Broad St. for Riley & Walker Development’s three-story mixed-use building.
Citizens who had waited two hours to make comments during the 470 NW Broad St. proposed development’s public hearing were invited to share their contact information for an upcoming neighborhood meeting.
The Pines Preservation Guild sent a letter to the planning board in August stating that the development on 470 NW Broad St. calls for the removal of the historic 1915 home of one of the founders of Southern Pines, C.T. Patch.
An email to the planning board from Rachel Cunningham stated development at 470 NW Broad St. would be disruptive to the neighborhood’s way of life and would be destructive to downtown appeal.
“One of the main reasons families and visitors flock to this area is because of its historical charm. If we allow developers to destroy historical properties closer and closer to downtown, we will eventually lose our reputation as a small, charming town!” Cunningham stated in her email.
660 SW Service Road
After 11 Southern Pines citizens voiced complaints during the public hearing on 660 SW Service Road’s Conditional Use Permit for construction of a mixed-use residential and office development and a Major Subdivision Preliminary Plat for single-family attached townhomes on five parcels totaling 2.085 acres, the town voted for a continuance on Sept. 27 at 3 p.m. at the C. Michael Haney Community Room.
Town of Southern Pines and citizens take part in public hearing Sept. 14 on 660 Service Road proposed development during town’s regular meeting. Image on screen is the proposed development.
Development of 660 SW Service Road was discussed with visuals by Paramounte Engineering’s Mike Nichols, a landscape engineer and landscape architect. The site plan is for six buildings, which will be spread out to blend into the existing neighborhood. The proposed dwellings are buy-in properties with sound transitional buffers with greenery.
Travis Fluitt is the Senior Transportation Engineer at Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., and he said an analysis of the traffic patterns is appropriate for the proposed development and will not be detrimental to public safety. The projected increase in traffic is less than 30 trips in the morning or evening, with less than 150 trips on adjacent roads.
Elizabeth Giri is a real estate appraiser with Village Appraisers in Pinehurst, and she said there will be no significant detrimental impact on the West Southern Pines neighborhood, but it will cause area property taxes to rise.
Public comments included concerns about children playing near roads, the elderly and handicapped, rising property taxes, and one citizen said only developers will benefit.
In the below video, Angela McNeil, of Southern Pines, shares with the town council her concerns about the 660 SW Service Road’s proposed development.
One citizen said if the town approves the development that it will open the door for potential gentrification by unfairly displacing citizens. A different resident said West Southern Pines had a population on fixed incomes who could lose their property if taxes were increased because they would not be able to afford it.
One resident said approving the development would bring headhunters to the area to buy West Southern Pines property for further development. Another citizen said the town was on a campaign to buy out West Southern Pines, and their neighborhood streets would become a thoroughfare.
“Everything we do is for the citizens of Southern Pines,” Mayor Carol Haney said after hearing the public comments.
Attorney Nicolas Robinson with Bradshaw Robinson Slawter, LLP, in Pittsboro, said the proposed development is compliant with the town’s criteria, as seen beginning on page seven in the agenda.
He said potential rise in property taxes does not lessen values of neighboring property. The land-use and traffic analysis was completed by an engineer, whom the town may consider based on credentials and not opinion. The OS zoning allows for the proposed mixed-use and has a sentence in its compliances encourages a mixture. Evidence supports the proposed use of land under current zoning, and he said there was no reason for a continuance.
Board members will not be discussing permits for 660 SW Service Road’s proposed development until their work session meeting on Sept. 27.
1042 SW Broad Street
The town annexed 1042 SW Broad St., approximately 2.03 acres of commercially zoned property into town limits.
Feature photo: Citizens learn about upcoming Target on Morganton Road in Southern Pines during the Sept. 14 Town of Southern Pines public hearing.
~Article, photos, and videos by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Stephanie M. Sellers. Contact her at [email protected].
