The Southern Pines town council was told this week that a proposed raw water reservoir off Drowning Creek could be completed by the spring of 2012.

Fred Hobbs, of Hobbs Upchurch & Associates, also presented the project schedule to the council Monday afternoon during its work session.

The council discussed the possibility of expediting the project.

Hobbs said an expedited schedule would project completion by June 2011, but he added that the time frame for financing the project would not allow a faster process.

Councilman Chris Smithson asked Hobbs why the process of developing and implementing the project has been so cumbersome.

"The state is unbelievably slow and anal about some of these issues," Hobbs said.

Hobbs said he hopes to have a bid for the project to Town Manager Reagan Parsons by Nov. 1.

Also during the work session, Charles O'Donnell, along with Carl Kessler, of The Historic Workshop, asked the council about the possibility of building a "triplex" apartment building consisting of three units - two downstairs and one upstairs - on the lot behind his current triplex building at 240 W. New Hampshire Ave.

O'Donnell's property is in the "core area," which the town has designated for high-density growth in downtown.

The council told O'Donnell that because his property, which is zoned as Residential Multi-Family, has restrictions on high-density, the project in its current plan would not be feasible.

His property would need to be zoned Central Business for the level of density to not be an issue.

Kessler said that the Central Business District needs affordable rentals in the area if the town wants a higher density there.

O'Donnell and Kessler said they will continue meeting with the planning department about the project.

Contact Hannah Sharpe at hannah@thepilot.com.