Veterans, County at Standstill over Memorial Site
The Moore County Board of Commissioners has been asked by Bojangles’ Corp. to sell vacant land (background) adjacent to the county's veterans memorial in Carthage for a fast food restaurant.
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A joint committee of veterans and county officials have still not come to a resolution over the future of the veterans memorial in Carthage.
The 10-member Veterans Memorial Advisory Council was formed as an outgrowth of a debate veterans had last year with the Moore County commissioners over the future of county-owned land near the memorial off U.S. 15-501. Veterans became concerned when they learned commissioners were discussing the possible sale of land adjacent to the memorial to the Bojangles’ company for a fast-food restaurant.
Friday’s meeting was the first for the full committee since a subcommittee met to discuss how the property would be utilized.
Moore County Social Services Director John Benton said the group was supposed to determine the space needs of the memorial land for the next 50 years.
Benton said that the existing memorial has space for two additional tablets that are capable of holding the names of 720 veterans.
“There are about 11,000 names of discharged military veterans on file with the Register of Deeds,” he said. “Eight thousand are on the memorial now, with the potential for 3,200 to be added. Adding seven new tablets on the existing footprint would provide space for all county veterans to be listed.”
Benton said the veterans office reports an additional 30 new names per year, which he said the subcommittee rounded to 50.
“Fifty names at 50 years is 2,500 names,” he said. “The seven additional tablets would provide space for this growth.”
With expansion of the site considered, Benton said, 31 tablets or 10,440 names could be added.
“The site could expand to 29 gray tablets and two black tablets for MIA/KIA veterans,” he said. “Adding 100 names per year would allow for 104 years of growth beyond current projections.”
County Commissioner and Advisory Council Co-chair Jimmy Melton seemed pleased with the report.
“We’ve got a footprint now,” he said. “The subcommittee accomplished what needed to be done. Our original goal was to protect the memorial, and now we have the information before us to know what we’ve got to do to protect it.”
Committee member and veterans advocate Carolyn Mealing then revealed a plan approved by veterans that encompassed the monument and the additional acreage that veterans are attempting to protect from development.
“Currently, the memorial contains over 8,000 names engraved on 23 gray granite tablets, and there would be room to place 40 additional tablets on the current site if the site were slightly expanded,” said Mealing.
“When special programs are held at the memorial site, the small footprint on which the memorial site is located cannot begin to accommodate the people who come together from all parts of Moore and surrounding counties to honor our veterans. There are no restrooms, storage facilities, cooking facilities, seats, stage or audio equipment. These all have to be brought in and set up each time there is a function.”
Mealing reiterated that the committee “was asked to find a way to bridge the concerns of the Moore County veterans and the county’s concerns with respect to the best use of the property.”
“This concept, designed by landscape architect Vince Zucchino, utilizes the memorial site and the three-plus acres adjacent to it for the Moore County Veterans Memorial Park,” she said. “As a county park, it would preserve and protect the purpose of the Moore County Veterans Memorial, which is the most critical concern of the Moore County Veterans Memorial Committee and other Moore County veterans groups.
“As a park, it would preserve green space, be available for county purposes, county veterans groups, Carthage and other towns and Moore County citizen groups for purposes deemed appropriate by the Moore County Board of Commissioners and would thus serve all Moore County citizens well.”
Mealing said the amenities of the proposed park would include an amphitheater with wheelchair accessibility and restrooms.
“It would initially accommodate 250-plus seats and could easily be enlarged,” she said. “An amphitheater would greatly enhance the park’s usability and function, as it could be used not only for veterans, county and town programs but for other appropriate group functions as well.”
Park benches, picnic tables, a reflecting pool, and walking and biking trails were also listed.
“We envision an open field for various activities, landscaping that would capture and enhance the natural flow of the property and needs of the space, and places for cooking and serving are also included, ”she said. “The park could truly be utilized by all Moore County citizens.”
Mealing said that agreement by the county to continue to provide the insurance and maintenance of that property under joint ownership between the Moore County Veterans Memorial Committee and the county, “as was recommended by Commissioner Larry Caddell on August 7, 2012,” would be “essential” for the proposal to work.
“This is our opportunity to show our appreciation, gratitude and respect for what our veterans have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for us,” she said. “We therefore ask this committee to approve this concept for the Moore County Veterans Memorial Park, and to recommend that the full county board of commissioners approve this proposal as soon as it is practical to do so.
“They fought for us,” she said in conclusion. “Isn’t it our turn to fight for them?”
Melton thanked her for the presentation.
“This is one concept to look at, but I don’t know if this is the final end,” he said.
Moore County Planning Board Chairman Robert Hayter posed several questions to Zucchino that he said “should be in the minutes.”
“I know Vince Zucchino both personally and professionally, and believe his skills are exemplary,” he said. “But I think it is prudent to ask a few technical questions regarding this proposal.”
Hayter asked Zucchino what he believed would be the cost for the project.
“I hesitate to put numbers out there at this point, since we were only coalescing some ideas into a conceptual plan, but I would estimate the cost at up to $1 million.”
“Would you say that there are other equally effective ways to protect or enhance the site, other than what you did?” Hayter asked.
“I have to say yes, that there are other concepts,” Zucchino said. “But our idea was to give as much space to the memorial as possible.”
Raymond Doby, who co-chairs the advisory council with Melton and is also a veterans advocate, said he did not take part in the planning process.
“I don’t know who did what, but I wasn’t involved,” he said. “They did a good job, but I wonder why I wasn’t contacted.”
But committee member Ruby Hendrick said that all were in agreement.
“The Moore County Veterans Memorial Committee unanimously voted to present this for consideration,” she said.
Melton then proposed that the subcommittee develop a “Plan B.”
“Since we’ve established a footprint for future growth, and Mr. Zucchino said that there might be other ways to do this, then I think we should consider all the possibilities,” he said. “If it’s OK with Mr. Doby, we will look at another concept.”
Doby and Benton each agreed with Melton’s proposal.
“There might be a better way to utilize the site,” Benton said. “Mr. Zucchino did a wonderful job, but we might be able to do something different for half a million.”
Moore County Commissioners’ Chairman Nick Picerno, who had remained silent throughout the meeting, reiterated the issue of time as it concerned the memorial.
“This situation became political before my re-election, and the media portrays this as something that has to be done now or something terrible will happen,” he said. “But the truth is, I keep hearing the phrase ‘protect the memorial,’ but it is already protected. The county board has given you that time.
“The right thing to do is to get it done right, not get it done fast. Nothing will happen until a decision is made by this board.”
The subcommittee meets again on Jan. 28 to discuss “Plan B.”
Contact John Lentz at (910) 693-2479 or jlentz@thepilot.com.
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Comments
deidretg 4 months, 1 week ago
At first, I was skeptical about this 'committee' doing anything good for us veterans that would result in saving the dignity of the site from a Bojangles fast food, loud noise, dirty chicken wrappers invasion. However, from the proposed preservation of the site published in the Pilot on Sunday, I must say that the committee has come up with a fabulous plan.
The Pilot needs to publish the plan on the Blog so that everyone can see just how wonderful this plan is. It has ample parking, a great ampitheater type space, expanded veterans memorial space adequate for the next 50 years for all of the future veterans who should rightfully have their place on the walls of granite and it all retains the air of dignity that was threatened by this Bojangles fiasco.
Again, just a great job by the committee. Even Chairman Picerno, who was a the meeting, found no objections. That was promising. Maybe the citizens will triumph this time.
deidretg 4 months, 1 week ago
This plan is so overwhelmingly positive for veterans as well as for every other citizen In Moore County that it will take more than a wink and a nod between Commisioner Melton, Chairman Nick and Hayter to come up with some kind of Plan 'B' that would even come close to what we need in Moore County. However, given what has passed for citizen representation in the past by this crowd, Lord only knows what they have planned for us going forward.
Again, the Pilot might be accused of showing its true colors in this matter if they do not put the digital image of this fantastic plan that they have in their possession here on the blog so every citizen in Moore County can see it. Our citizens deserve it.
jonathan_poverud 4 months, 1 week ago
Deidretg, there is a blue box a quarter way down the article that has the color image of the plan.
deidretg 4 months, 1 week ago
Jonathan, thank you for the info. I'm doing my reading and writing on a small handheld. Once you posted, I went to a regular computer and there it was, bigger than Dallas. My apologies to The Pilot. A picture is worth a thousand words and we really needed this fantastic plan to be seen in order to be believed. Thanks again, Jonathan.
deidretg 4 months, 1 week ago
This Commissioner Melton, Chairman Nick and Hayter plan 'B' is the only way to get back to where the discussion was at their last meeting last fall. Here are some of Melton's comments from that meeting as quoted in The Pilot;
....“I’m confused regarding this entire matter,” Picerno said. “I thought the land where the memorial was placed was not in question, and that we were here to discuss what would be done with the adjacent land.”
...."Veterans committee member Ruby Hendrick said she thought the memorial was already protected....
“Not really,” Melton said. “We could sell it tomorrow.”
“So all we’re talking about is protecting where the memorial is now, only that?” Hendrick asked.
Melton nodded in affirmation.
“We’re not talking about the adjacent property (where Bojangles’ could potentially be located) yet,” he said."....
Again, these guys will look long and hard to come up with a more fitting, respectful and dignified plan than what has just been presented to them. Obviously, the only way to get back to a "We could sell it tomorrow" concept by the BOC is to come up with some kind of plan "B". We will just have to stand by for this one.
deidretg 4 months, 1 week ago
I'm sure that Chairman Nick would want his words from the current meeting quoted in these comments so that there won't be any doubt where he stands. So, here they are;
“This situation became political before my re-election, and the media portrays this as something that has to be done now or something terrible will happen,” he said. “But the truth is, I keep hearing the phrase ‘protect the memorial,’ but it is already protected. The county board has given you that time.
“The right thing to do is to get it done right, not get it done fast. Nothing will happen until a decision is made by this board.”
The subcommittee meets again on Jan. 28 to discuss “Plan B.”
He could have suggested that they accept the fantastic plan that was unanimously supported by the Moore County Veterans and presented at this meeting. But he didn't. Interesting.
deidretg 4 months, 1 week ago
What really upsets us veterans is the persistent attitude expressed by the "County" side of this committee in the comment made in support of Commissioner Melton's plan "B" that quote “There might be a better way to utilize the site........ we might be able to do something different for half a million. " This is the same crowd that will spend $42,000,000 on a prisoner palace without a vote by the people (remember Chairman Nick's infamous "That time is past" to the citizens at the BOC meeting in 2010 when they grabbed the money by commissioner edict).
The plan presented preserves forever the original intent of our County Veteran's Memorial when it was first created but it doesn't leave room for Bojangles so out comes the idea that maybe there is a better use of this land for half the price ($500,000 instead of the estimated $1,000,000). Chairman Nick just said a few weeks ago at the commissioner's retreat that they had to spend an extra $2,000,000 on the prisoner palace for unexpected items. But, when the Moore County Veterans unanimously propose a plan for their memorial it immediately needs to be cut in half by a plan "B". There has been something really wrong in the thinking process of our 'leaders' for some time, obviously. Sadly, it continues.
Toda 4 months, 1 week ago
One consideration of the Rick Rhyne Detention Center was to incorporate the Judicial Center into the entire complex for security reasons (prisoner transports). After spending the 1.5 million for 21 acres of prime MooCo property in downtown Carthage, the board soon discovered that 10 acres was wet lands and unbuildable. SURPRISE! Johnnie Graham stuck it to the naive board.
FightFireWithFire 4 months, 1 week ago
Why don't they tear down the eyesore across the street from the new detention center and build it there. That mess of buildings needs to go IMHO. I feel bad for the few hold outs still living there, they will never be able to sell their houses now....unless the county buys them.
Toda 4 months, 1 week ago
FightFireWithFire => I'm not a soothsayer, but I expect they will move forward on a land purchase where the Detention Center should have been built to start with.... The Kirby land next to the Moore County board of elections.
deidretg 4 months ago
FFWF, just like you say about the poor folks unfortunate enough to be living across the street from this prisoner megaplex, the county's veterans certainly don't want to be standing in the middle of flashing neon 'bail bond' signs on one side and howling prisoners on the other side of themselves while they are trying to pay their respects to this county's departed veterans as well as the living ones whose names are etched forever in granite at the Veteran's Memorial. That would be even worse than the Bojangles fast food, loud noise, dirty chicken wrappers fiasco that almost happened. The veterans have come up with a terrific plan that will be very hard to beat IMHO.