Keep Hands Off Our Horse Country

As of Tuesday, November 29, 2011

With apologies to the folks at Mastercard, the Walthour-Moss Foundation is priceless.

William “Pappy” O. Moss and his wife, Ginnie, showed tremendous foresight in acquiring and subsequently donating the majority of the nearly 4,200 acres that now constitute the nature preserve located in the heart of Horse Country.

Thanks to the Mosses, the land is open to the public from sunup to sundown year-round, whether one wants to ride, drive, walk or run underneath a canopy of magnificent longleaf pines.

A recent carriage ride through the Foundation underscored for us the beauty and tranquillity that has drawn Moore Countians and day-trippers from points elsewhere for decades. There were no signs of civilization, and one could hear the wind rustling through the trees, plants and grasses.

We cannot imagine a four-lane highway running through — and ruining — the Foundation. But a proposed U.S. 1 bypass around Southern Pines and Aberdeen could do just that.

Deaf Ears

N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) officials have been adamant in saying that there is currently no line on a map through Horse Country or anywhere else in Moore County. Thankfully, that message has essentially fallen on deaf ears locally with equestrians and non-equestrians alike.

Foundation supporters are quick to note that NCDOT has never placed a proposed bypass anywhere else in the past, and has declined so far to rule it out this time.

We embrace the importance of developing a Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the county that reflects the priorities of residents and elected officials. But we abhor the feeling that no matter what those folks tell NCDOT, the department will do what it wants when push comes to shove.

The bottom line is that the majority of Moore Countians don’t trust NCDOT, and we believe that the department has done very little to allay their concerns.

Look no further than the crape myrtles, er, we mean guardrails, on U.S. 1 for these bureaucrats’ environmental sensitivity.

Treasure Is Threatened

Why can’t NCDOT tell us that they are taking Horse Country off the table as a potential site for the proposed bypass? We didn’t want it 50 years ago, 10 years ago, or five years ago. Why would we want it now?

An even better question is this: Do we even need it?

NCDOT has not done an origination and destination study along U.S. 1 between Morganton Road in Southern Pines and N.C. 5 in Aberdeen to determine how much of the traffic along that 3.8-mile stretch is local and how much travels through.

It seems to us that such a study should have been conducted before NCDOT and its local and regional partners held public workshops earlier this month. The workshops, called charrettes, focused on a consensus-building game called strings-and-ribbons.

Based on our interviews with workshop participants, most appreciated the opportunity to voice their opinion but felt that NCDOT would ultimately decide the bypass route no matter what they said. Basically, the charrettes were a charade.

We agree with the view recently put forth by Landon Russell, executive director of the Foundation. “I honestly can’t tell you what the answer is, but we need to find an alternative to the bypass that we can all live with,” Russell said.

Indeed. We need to protect what we have now so a line through Horse Country doesn’t get drawn on a map in the future.

More like this story

geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago

This editorial is to be applauded. The Pilot's suspicions regarding the proposed byway thru horse country are valid, and the paper's voice on this issue will become increasingly important if and as this issue heats up. Based on where the new guardrail was placed, it doesn't appear that any of the Crape Myrtles needed to be removed on US Hwy 1. There was available space to accomodate both trees and the rail.

Having said that, there appears to be a disconnect between The Pilot's concern over the potential bypass, and its endorsement of the candidates for town council in Southern Pines' latest election who will be far more likely to green light developments like the proposed outlet mall on Morganton Rd. (See today's Ted Natt article.) When it comes to unsustainable growth and sprawl, there's little difference between byways thru horse country and mixed used developments on Morganton Rd. It all leads to the same place, the destruction of open space and the decay of our quality of life.

Based on the drubbing candidates who support The Comprehensive Long Range Plan took in November's election, it would appear that we're not going to figure out what this type of growth will do to our community, until it's too late.

Zippy 1 year, 5 months ago

I don't agree with Geoff Cutler that often but I do now. He's right about misguided voters electing pro growth town council members toward the ruination of this area, and yes of course they'll build any abomination that will make money for people who don't live here, or something like that. The horse country issue is interesting, all of a sudden it's "Our" horse country. I've lived here a long time and no one ever told me that the preserve was open to the public, how come? Because the equestrian community, I daresay, wanted to keep that a secret? But now that they're concerned about encroachment of an important real estate draw for the wealthy equestrians who build big estates here and want an exclusive preserve for recreational use, all of a sudden its a "public" thing that went unadvertised, unused by the public, I daresay, and unknown to mostly anyone except members of the equestrian community.

Courseaire 1 year, 5 months ago

Zippy - Did you know that there are many golf courses nearby, as well as Lakes & other recreational facilities. Just pick up one of the available visitor guides & you'll find out there are many places available for you and others like you.

geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago

Good one, Harley!

JimHeim 1 year, 5 months ago

Zippy, apparently you've never visited the Foundation. You should. At popular entrances there's a bulletin board with information for visitors. You're most welcome to enjoy the area's charms.

lester 1 year, 5 months ago

Don't forget that if DOT does plan to route through the Foundation, the road will need to swing back to US1 in Aberdeen. That will take it right through Highland Trails and Sandhurst South. There is no way that the US Army will let the road go any where near the Reservation and the State won't let it go through Weymouth Woods. I will only mention the wetlands in Aberdeen in passing. The State won't care.

geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago

Lester...how do they get thru Highland Trails? That'a a homeowner subdivision. Are you talking about Eminent Domain type stuff?

lester 1 year, 5 months ago

Unfortunately yes. Up in Wake Co. they put the property needed for a bypass on a strategic corridor plan, which limits development and saleability (who wants a house that might be torn down for a bypass), and then sat on it or several years until the value dropped. Look at the maps (or better yet Google Earth) and tell me a way to get from US1 North at the Foundation to US1 South of Aberdeen that does not go through Highland trails and Sandhurst South and stays off of FT Bragg. I would also direct your attention to the cluster of buildings @ 1/2 mile onto post adjacent to Highland Trails that appears in photos, but not on maps. Do you think US Special Forces wants a bypass anywhere near that facility? I think not.

Courseaire 1 year, 5 months ago

Personally, I don't even see why a by-pass is even needed.

emb6683 1 year, 5 months ago

In addition to the strong non-support this proposal would get from Ft Bragg, any route that went on Ft Bragg would be in Hoke County, and would have to transit Hoke County to get back to US 1. That would mean DOT would have to get another county to buy into the plan, which makes it even less likely to happen.

geoffcutler 1 year, 5 months ago

It isn't needed. Especially since we already have a bypass called 95. But this has something to do with our state's governance wanting Rte. 1 to be a continuous North/South 4 lane highway. I can't help but wonder, where is the money coming from? Is this Federal Stimulus money that needs to be spent or we won't recieve future federal funding? It seems such a waste of cash when there must be other higher, more needy priorities to spend on, if spend they must.

JeremyG 1 year, 5 months ago

I can see a bypass in Aberdeen around the commercial strip (although not sure where that would go) but not for Southern Pines. I am indifferent in regard to horse country but the highway seems to be just fine as is, in that area.