Development of the Southern Pines Long-Range Plan will continue with the “Policies & Programs Workshop,” set for two times on Wednesday, September 16th - from 11:30 to 1:30 pm at the Douglass Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, and from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court (north of Morganton Road and east of Highway 1).

Both meetings will review the plan’s draft goal and policy framework and discuss possible “next steps” - including programs and strategic efforts the Town may take to implement the plan. Participants will help refine and prioritize these next steps, allowing the Town to complete the draft plan and present it to the community sometime in October.

Both meetings will offer the same content, so pick the one that’s most convenient to your schedule and location. A copy of the meeting agenda is linked below. All Town residents and those living within the Town’s ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction) are strongly encouraged to attend.

Meeting agenda (64 Kb, Acrobat® file)

As part of the Town’s ongoing effort to include the thoughts of as many residents as possible in the plan, the July Town utility mailing included a plan policy questionnaire - a third “Mini-poll” about four key topics and potential related policies.

Here’s an on-line version of the same questionnaire, along with a downloadable version you can print and return. Either way, your thoughts will help shape the policy framework in the draft long-range plan now being developed. Thanks in advance - we look forward to hearing from you!

Questionnaire (on-line) (Weblink)
Questionnaire (for print) (160 Kb, Acrobat® file)

Along with helping review emerging plan policy, Long-Range Plan Advisory Committee (AC) members have also been active in making presentations to various civic groups and organizations.

One such meeting took place before the West Southern Pines Civic Club on July 13, led by AC members Shanda Whitaker and Deonté Thomas.

Besides the presentation, most in attendance took part in two types of questionnaires - the “Penny-Poll,” an informal questionnaire that asks participants to prioritize important issues by allocating a ten-penny budget among ten topic areas, and the eight-question “Mini-Poll,” covering key plan topics.

The files linked below provide results from each activity. Interestingly, among 28 participants, the number one penny-getter was “Neighborhood Revitalization,” followed by “Jobs & Economy,” “Housing,” and “Community Connections.” This in contrast to responses from folks at the Springfest booth, for example, who chose “Open Space” and “Downtown” as top priorities, and placed “Housing” and “Community Connections” near the bottom. Mini-poll results appear more consistent with at-large results, though Civic Club participants seem to more strongly prefer single-family housing over other types mentioned.

While results are non-scientific, they do help illustrate preferences and important contrasts within the community.

Look for the next mini-poll questionnaire in your Southern Pines July utility statement. Fill it out soon, and take part in shaping Southern Pines’ future!

Penny-poll results (336Kb, Acrobat® file)
Mini-poll results (308 Kb, Acrobat® file)

In considering some of the larger issues facing Southern Pines, the Long-Range Plan Advisory Committee wanted to hear from a few local experts. Realizing such presentations might be of interest to the larger community, the group has organized an event in “Town Meeting” format, set for Tuesday, July 21 at the Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street. All area residents are encouraged to attend.

Each presenter will offer information on their respective roles as related to Southern Pines, and will take questions from the audience. Speakers include:

Don Belk, with the BRAC Regional Task Force
Andy Wilkinson, Pinehurst Village Manager, and
Bill Zell, Aberdeen Town Manager

For more, contact the Town planning office, or check out a copy of the event poster, linked below.

Town Meeting poster (1.0 Mb, Acrobat® file)