SP Approves Improvements at Pool Park – Southern Pines Pilot

The Southern Pines Town Council approved $30,000 in new capital improvements at Pool Park during Mondays work session.

Three new retaining walls near the basketball court will replace the existing wood walls and new fencing will be installed at the baseball backstop.

As we continue to improve our parks, there were a few maintenance issues to bring forward. These are projects that our staff cannot do in house because they are more specialized, said Recreation and Parks Director Robert Reeve.

The retaining walls will be constructed with Diamond D block, a rough-hewn, natural looking concrete block that is frequently used in outdoor applications. The three walls will connect directly to the walking trail and will be stepped back slightly more than the existing retaining wall. Each wall will extend between 100 to 135 feet and plans calls for them to be spaced approximately six feet apart.

The top of the walls will be reinforced and will provide block seating, Reeve said. It will give an amphitheater-type look to serve the basketball court and will also provide more seating for the new performance stage.

Reeve said the new walls will create a cleaner, nicer look at the park and are in keeping with the towns multi-phased enhancement program for Pool Park. The project is anticipated to cost approximately $25,900 to install.

By putting in this type of structure, it will be secure and safe and look a lot better. It will also create a new function for the park, he said.

In addition, he recommended new fencing for the baseball backstop area, at an estimated cost of $4,000. The town will also use approximately $860 that was donated to the Pool Park fund by a local Boy Scout as part of his Eagle project.

We all express our appreciation to this young man for his generous donation, said Mayor Pro Tem Jim Simeon.

In other discussion on Monday, the Southern Pines Town Council:

* Considered a request to allow private businesses to use town-owned outdoor facilities. The discussion was raised when a local entrepreneur asked to conduct exercise classes at area parks. The town attempted to hire the woman so the business could operate as a recreation program offering but she opposed the differing fee structure set up for residents and non-residents. The other option is to pay a standard facility fee on a per hour basis.

We want to be fair to everybody and very consistent with how we run our programs based on our ordinance, Reeve said. If we have someone who wants to do a program that we feel could benefit the community, we want to work with them.

The town has traditionally restricted rental use of any facilities indoor spaces and outdoor areas to individuals and nonprofits.

One of the aspects we like about our parks is that people can rent a shelter for a birthday party. You have to balance that will how much you allow private (business) renters to come in and possibly take away those opportunities, Reeve said. We dont want to get in a situation where we have to decide that you can use it but you cant.

* Considered a request to amend the design standards for fuel stations in the towns Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The request is based on a proposed plan to construct a kiosk-style fuel station at the Harris Teeter store location at Mill Creek Village, near the corner of N.C. 22 and Airport Road.

There were some not-quite-anticipated hurdles with design and site work, said Assistant Town Manager Chris Kennedy. As we worked through this application, we ran into some issues with the UDO language.

Specifically, Harris Teeter is interested in building a small fuel station with an attended kiosk; however, current UDO regulations stipulate fuel station pumps should be screened behind the building and the roof line of the canopy must be lower than the building. This language is based on the typical, historical model of a fuel station with an attached convenience store.

In recent years, grocery stores have moved into the fuel business by opening up smaller, kiosk style stations as part of its integrated shopping center services. Examples already in place in the area include the Lowes Food fuel station at Morganton Park South and the Harris Teeter fuel station at Pinecroft Shopping Center in Taylortown.

It is difficult for a small building to screen pumps, as written in the code, versus a more traditional gas station, Kennedy said. We dont want people to think there is a special allowance. We want to make sure we are applying things correctly.There is always a rhyme and reason to why a code gets changes. Over time conditions change and the code has to apply to all kinds of nuance and there are certain situations that dont always fit.

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SP Approves Improvements at Pool Park - Southern Pines Pilot