The Southern Pines Town Council completed its public hearing Tuesday on the Bell family's request to rezone 558 acres adjacent to Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, but delayed a vote so council members can submit questions.

"If we have more questions, I think they need to be ironed out before we vote," council member Fred Walden said.

Council members were asked to submit their questions to Town Manager Reagan Parsons by Oct. 16 so Parsons can forward them to the Bell family for answers.

The council will revisit the rezoning request at its monthly work session on Oct. 22, at which time it may vote on the matter.

The undeveloped land, known as the Knollwood Tract, is located near the intersection of U.S. 1 and N.C. 22. It is the same tract that was the center of a major confrontation five years ago when the proposed Pine Needles Village development was defeated.

The Bell family submitted a conceptual plan on June 25. The plan was required as part of the family's application to rezone the land from Planned Development-Conditional District (PD-CD) to Planned Unit Development (PUD).

The Southern Pines Planning Board recommended approval of the rezoning last month.

For more details, see Friday's edition of The Pilot.