The Pinehurst Village council is preparing to move forward with plans for several projects that are expected to enhance downtown.

After a discussion with assistant town manager Jeff Batton, the council instructed Batton to be prepared to move forward with all the projects to improve downtown except the planned work to be done to enhance the parking in the lot in front of the old department store building. They asked that work be ready to start in January.

Plans include streetscaping work along Chinquapin and near the Theater Building and the planned improvements for the sand parking lot and the village green.

Batton told the council he wouldn't recommend doing work on the sand parking lot and the area in front of the old department store because it would adversely affect too many parking spaces.

The delay to start projects until January will allow for the Village's historic preservation commission to determine whether or not it will appeal a recent order from the Board of Adjustment to issue a certificate of appropriateness for improvements to the sand parking lot and the village green.

In July the HPC voted 4-2 against issuing a COA for the project. The Village appealed the decision to the Board of Adjustment.

The Pinehurst Board of Adjust last week ruled in favor of the Village and order the Historic Preservation Commission to issue a certificate of appropriateness for the planned improvements to the parking lot and the village green.

The HPC has to option to appeal the ruling to Moore County Superior Court, which would further delay the project.

The Village has hoped to complete the work to alter the parking lot and the green prior to June 2014 when Pinehurst hosts the U.S. Opens.

Since the HPC has 30 days to appeal last week's decision, an issuance of a COA likely wouldn't come until mid-November at the earliest.

Batton advised the council that the $850,000 in the current budget for the proposed projects is more than enough to cover the estimated costs.

For more on the meeting, see Friday's print edition of The Pilot.