The Pinehurst Village Council has decided to take the next step toward development of a 19-acre section of the village.

Consultant Ian Colgan of the Development Concepts Inc. planning and development firm has been hired to study how best to develop the area known as Village Place, located between the village center and Rassie Wicker Park.

The council agreed to pay $25,000 to Colgan for his work on the first phase of the project, set to begin next month.

Village Manager Andy Wilkison said the initial phase will include a market analysis, a key property inventory and outreach, and an infrastructure and relocation plan. It will begin in December and be done in about 120 days.

The second phase will focus on a community outreach initiative with workshops and presentations, Wilkison said. Determining property usage and financial issues will be done in the final phase and will involve recruitment of a developer.

The planning project should take eight to 10 months to complete.

Formerly known as NewCore, the area was marked for development in the village’s 2003 Comprehensive Long-Range Plan. A strategy for development in the area was adopted in 2006, and was updated in 2008 and 2010.

Wilkison said the delay was due to “a combination” of factors.

“I can’t speak for the board, but I believe the economy and a lack of consensus among the several boards that have been in place have contributed to the delay,” he said. “There have been five elections since the comprehensive plan was put together.”

Mayor Pro-Tem Doug Lapins is the only board member still serving from the time the comprehensive plan was put in place.

“Having been on the board when the NewCore idea was considered, I came into this with a certain amount of skepticism,” Lapins said. “But after hearing his presentation, I think Ian Colgan may represent the ‘missing link’ that we have been searching for. I believe he has the ability to communicate to a developer about what is the best for the area.”

Lapins said that no one in the past “has been able to articulate” how the area should be developed.

“There is a great visual landscape there that we don’t want to lose, but at the same time there has been talk of a need for Class A office space. Traffic is also a concern, since it is not the most accessible part of the village. At this point we don’t have a clear vision about what we should do there, and that is part of the difficulty.”

Wilkison said the area, if developed, would likely be a complement to Rassie Wicker Park.

“The area is located right across the road from the park, and is in a sense adjacent to it,” he said. “I don’t think it would negatively impact the park at all, and in fact would probably increase its usage.”

Colgan, who handles consulting services for Development Concepts Inc. in Indianapolis, was recommended by Pat Corso, executive director of Partners in Progress.

“Ian is a community developer,” Corso said in a previous interview. “He can come to Pinehurst, work with the community over some months to see what they want, create a master plan, and then solicit developers to make it happen.”

Contact John Lentz at (910) 693-2479 or jlentz@thepilot.com.