Downtown Merchants Seek Impact Study
Broad Street in downtown Southern Pines Hannah Sharpe
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Downtown Southern Pines merchants want the Town Council to seek more information about the impact of a major new development off U.S. 1 before considering it.
The Broad Street Merchant Community on Friday presented the Southern Pines Town Council with a petition asking the town to conduct — or have conducted — an economic and community impact study in conjunction with review of a major development on land owned by the Bell family.
The goal of a study would be to “ensure that we all fully understand the potential ramifications … on our downtown district,” Tony Grausso, a founder of the group, said in a cover letter to the council that accompanied the petition.
The petition was signed by 52 owners or managers of businesses in downtown Southern Pines.
Claudia Miller, owner of Morgan Miller women’s clothing and accessories, said she supports both the proposed development and the study.
“We need growth, but I think it’s in everyone’s best interest to have the study done,” Miller said Friday. “I’m for the project because I know the Bell family and they will do it right. I think it’s exciting and will be a great thing for the community.”
The Bell family is seeking to rezone 558 acres adjacent to their Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. A public hearing on the rezoning request began last month before the Southern Pines Planning Board and is expected to continue at the board’s Sept. 27 meeting.
The board is also expected to vote on a recommendation to the council, which will have the final say after also conducting a public hearing. That hearing will likely occur at the Oct. 9 council meeting.
Mayor David McNeill said Friday that he had not seen the petition, but added the council would consider it “at the appropriate time.”
“I think it’s fair to say the current and previous councils have been very supportive of downtown Southern Pines,” McNeill said.
For example, McNeill cited the town’s support of moving the repaving of Broad Street from last fall to this summer so the project would not hurt the busy Christmas shopping season that downtown merchants rely upon for the majority of their annual revenue.
Kelly Miller, president and CEO of Pine Needles and Mid Pines, said the merchant group was free to proceed as it saw fit.
“Obviously, we don’t have any control over what they do,” Miller said. “We just look forward to working with the Planning Board and Town Council as the process moves forward. A study is certainly something the town could request, but not at this point.”
The undeveloped Bell family land, known as the Knollwood Tract, is located near the intersection of U.S. 1 and N.C. 2. 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 family submitted a conceptual plan on June 25, because the plan was required as part of its application to rezone the land from Planned Development-Conditional District (PD-CD) to Planned Unit Development (PUD).
The tract is currently envisioned to include a 300- to 400-room hotel, an 18-hole golf course, up to 350,000 square feet of retail space, up to 100,000 square feet of office and commercial space, as many as 300 assisted living units, and up to 300 homes.
In addition to the golf course, recreation areas would include walking trails, horse riding trails and golf practice areas.
Downtown merchants would like the study done to determine how a large retail component might affect their shops.
“With the findings of a study in hand and understood, we could then be prepared to identify and implement measures to help ensure the long-term viability of our historic and vibrant downtown district,” Grausso said in the letter.
Claudia Miller said a study could determine how much new retail space the town could absorb.
“I’m not all up in arms about the proposed numbers because the plan is conceptual, but it is a massive amount of retail space. We need to make sure this area can support that amount,” she said. “We should all want steady growth. I’m not against growth, because without growth where would I be?”
Con O’Mahoney, owner of The Bell Tree restaurant, said the petition “has merit” because any development will have an impact.
“It will definitely take away from downtown Southern Pines,” O’Mahoney said. “Kelly Miller needs to do what’s best for his family and Pine Needles. It’s his property. You hate to jump up and down and tell him, ‘No.’ But we have to protect our businesses, especially in this day and age of franchises coming in.”
A study is not required by the town’s Unified Devel-opment Ordinance. And it would not be conducted — if at all — until the Bell family submits a detailed Incremental Master Plan for the project.
Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at (910) 693-2474 or tnatt@the pilot.com.
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Comments
alladat1 8 months, 2 weeks ago
A waste of time and money. Almost as bad as a land use plan. I've lived where money was spent on these studies and they never stop anything from happening.
doughnuts 8 months, 2 weeks ago
"COURTSEY OF PINE NEEDLES/MID PINES"?
dlb 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Protectionism is alive and well on Broad Street. I am all for competition. An impact study is not needed unless the merchants are going to pay for it.
tarheelborn 8 months, 2 weeks ago
@ Ms. Miller. “I’m for the project because I know the Bell family and they will do it right." How naive. Don't you know this is the REAL WORLD??? The Bell Family will have very little to NOTHING to do with this project. They are selling everyone out to a Big HIRED Gun Developer! This has all the markings of a rattle snake named Kelly Miller which is ALL About the best interestof he and the family, the money and not the best interest of Southern Pines!
MonkeyJunction 8 months, 2 weeks ago
To call Kelly Miller a rattlesnake because he's looking out for the best interest of his family puts him in the same boat as the rest of us.....just a nest of snakes looking out for our families.There's no need for name calling whether you are for or against the project. There also is no need to waste anyones money on an impact study. The downtown businesses are niche businesses and will not be affected by retail development in the area as proposed. The downtown business group needs to get their heads out of their anus' and put out quality products at good prices and they won't need an impact study. Maybe they should study just how many coffee shoppes they need?
JK 8 months, 2 weeks ago
In all these recent articles there’ve been plenty of quotes about the pros and cons of this project from a lot of local folks on both sides of the issue with the noticeable exception of someone actually named Bell…
tarheelborn 8 months, 2 weeks ago
@MonkeyJunction. ""To call Kelly Miller a rattlesnake because he's looking out for the best interest of his family puts him in the same boat as the rest of us....."" I see he even has YOU foiled... Kelly is ALWAYS About Himself. You obviously haven't know him for 30 YEARS! Unfortunately, the family and whole town with his so called friends will soon learn, only after it's too late... Just stay tuned for the announcements MonkeyJunction. Then you might think twice before speaking and having everything you say used against you in a PUBLIC FORUM...
tarheelborn 8 months, 2 weeks ago
@JK. ""with the noticeable exception of someone actually named Bell…"" The Bell family have more CLASS than to get on here and speak up like the rest of us no-counters. Yep. Me included... I don't really care what is said about me, because I'm going to say what I feel and know the be the truth... I speak with Knowledge and Experience from many years... Kelly is Not A Bell.. He is only VERY VERY Fortunate to be married to a Bell!
macsterling 8 months, 2 weeks ago
I believe that the council should resist any move or development which results in the devaluation of our property or a glut in retail investments. For Pete's Sake, Target will not even open a unit here because it is not economically viable. Get a clue and protect your constituents. BTW - I am pro-growth as long as it is beneficial to the community.
macsterling 8 months, 2 weeks ago
I love this discussion. I am glad folks have an interest in this.
getreal 8 months, 2 weeks ago
What ever happened to free enterprise?? They have already blocked another development before. Who are these merchants who feel they have the power to dictate and tell the rest of us what WE want or do not want? If you have a good business it will do well, if you have weak business, you will fail. Welcome to the REAL world. If these arrogant business owners want to keep pulling this "last man in theory", they deserve to have people boycott the downtown stores. Competition is a good thing! They are putting a Harris Teeter near Taylortown, good thing! I wonder if Food Lion and Lowe's will lower themselves to try to block a competitor. This is unreal, small town bullies, we don't need them. I am not per say pro-growth, but there is a lack of small manageable homes for older residents who don't want a big house in the area but want to stay here. This will give them something they need along with convenient shopping. I hope it goes through. PS let the merchants pay for the impact studies, we have been down this road before!
MonkeyJunction 8 months, 2 weeks ago
<p>@tarheelborn....Kelly Miller does not have me "foiled" and I'm sure you not concerned about looking out for yourself either. Guess you really do belong to the government and you've never built a business. Let's not issue anymore building permits until all the homes in the area are sold, or let's run attorneys out of town until every appt is booked. Yet let's worry about the 17 coffee shops downtown. That's true progress