The Southern Pines Long-Range Plan process will begin with the first of several community workshops scheduled for Thursday, November 13th 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. The event will be held in the large gym at the center, commonly known as the Boys and Girls Club. All Town residents and those living within the Town’s ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction) are encouraged to attend.

The meeting, called a "Vision Workshop," will ask participants to discuss and list issues and opportunities faced by the Town - whether current or expected over the course of the 20-year plan horizon. Multiple topic areas will be created to facilitate discussion on the full range of issues the plan will likely address. All written comments will be transcribed and included in work to develop a community “vision,” a broad-brush statement that will guide formation of goals and policies in the draft plan. The evening will begin with a presentation by consultant Bill Grimes of Studio Cascade on long-range plans - including their purpose, function, form and development process.

Other community workshops will take place early next year, and continue through the spring. Following a summer break, one or two additional workshops will help complete the draft plan, slated for delivery in September of 2009. Planning Commission and Town Council review will follow.

A copy of the postcard notice sent to all Town utility customers and others submitted by plan advisory committee members is linked below. E-mail notification will occur in advance of all public workshops; to be included in such mailings, add your e-mail address in the field to the right of this page and click “submit.”

Here’s a copy of the follow-up article on the plan’s Drop-In Center grand opening event that took place on October 21st, as published in The Pilot on October 23, and authored by staff writer Matthew Moriarty.

As reported weeks ago, the Southern Pines Long-Range Plan process will include a "Drop-In Center" downtown - serving as a place for residents to keep tabs on the process, weigh-in on key issues, and interact with folks helping to shape the plan.

This is to announce the grand opening of the center, set for Tuesday, October 21, beginning at 7:30 pm.

Unlike the official process meetings that will begin in November, this event will be an informal one - a “meet and greet” type of evening where consultants and staff hope to meet community members, show off the space including a few exhibits in the gallery area, and share light refreshments. Most or all of the new Advisory Committee members will be on-hand to meet as well. Mayor Haney and Town Council-members have been invited. Any and all residents are welcome to drop by anytime between 7:30 and 9:30 pm.

The Southern Pines Long-Range Plan Drop-In Center is located at 161 E. New Hampshire Avenue, Downtown.

Note: The following post is presented in an open-letter format from planning consultant Bill Grimes of Studio Cascade:

Dear Southern Pines Residents:

Even though the process is just barely under way, the level of community interest in Southern Pines’ Long-Range Plan has been very impressive.

More than 100 residents volunteered for the plan’s Advisory Committee, and we’d like to thank each and every one that offered to help. Town Council did a great job in getting the word out – no doubt part of the reason so many offered – and then worked through the difficult task of narrowing the list to the 20 names selected to serve on the group. Thanks to Council for helping make it all happen, and congratulations to the new members of the committee.

Not sure what the new group’s role will be? Be sure to read Town Manager Reagan Parsons’ excellent summary of the Advisory Committee’s upcoming work and intended function, published in the Pilot on September 14th and copied below. The names of folks asked to serve on the committee were also published in the Pilot, also linked below.

To those citizens and to the rest of Southern Pines, stay tuned. We’re working on a “Grand Opening” event at the project drop-in center the week of October 20th, where we hope to meet scores of residents, talk about what we’ve learned thus far, offer an outline of the meetings and events we’ll facilitate over the next few months, and generally begin listening and learning from residents about what the Town’s new plan needs to include. There’ll be at least one major public meeting in November, followed by an aggressive set of meetings, workshops and events between January and June of next year.

We’ll stress it again: since the plan is like a blueprint for Southern Pines’ 20-year future, it’s important that everyone has his or her thoughts included. We’ll work to give all residents that opportunity – from our experience, it’s how plans become truly successful, and how communities can proactively improve and sustain themselves over time.

We’ve met some great folks so far, and are really looking forward to serving the community in this important effort!

Sincerely,

Bill Grimes, AICP
Studio Cascade, Inc.

At the conclusion of the Long-Range Plan consultant interview on Monday, June 2, the Town’s selection committee agreed to participate in an informal “visioning” exercise. Acting as citizens charged with identifying issues Southern Pines faces, committee members were given worksheets to help begin the discussion on what the future plan should address.

Five teams of two were formed, and given 10 minutes to discuss and list issues related sample topics, eventually condensing that discussion into a brief, topical vision statements for Southern Pines.

Here’s a copy of the notes and ideas generated at that session, as provided to the Town following the interview. How did the selection committee do in covering some of the key issues Southern Pines faces? What’s missing? What hits the mark?

The future Long-Range Plan will need to cover the gamut of issues and opportunities before the Town today - and include those expected as growth and other forces change the community over the next 20 years. Check out this short document - even though it’s only a sample, we hope it’ll help "prime the pump” for the many, many discussions to come. Feel free to add on-line comments, too!