Cumberland County Commission Update

The Cumberland County Commissioners voted on the following rezonings as they pertain to local real estate.

Case P21-31 – Rezoning 25 acres from Rural Residential to Residential Conditional Zoning. The rezoning will allow up to 77 lots with zero lot line development. The property is located south of Clinton Road, west of Forte Road. (Stedman area) The planning staff and planning board recommended approval.

Vote: Passed with Commissioners Adam, Boose and Keefe voting in opposition

Case P21-33 – Rezoning 41.98 acres from Agriculture to Residential Conditional Zoning for up to 122 zero lot line subdivision. The property is located west of NC 87 Hwy and south of Olaburns Drive. The planning board recommended denial and the planning staff recommended approval.

Vote: This case has been remanded back to the planning board.

Consideration of approval of purchase price for 20.18 acres on the south side of Elliot Farm Road on behalf of the Cumberland County Board of Education. The site will be a future elementary school.

Vote: Passed

Other Business: Memorandum from Cumberland County

Cumberland County has been allocated $65.2 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act. The County’s three-member ARP Committee (Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, Committee Chair; Board Vice Chairman Glenn Adams and Commissioner Dr. Toni Stewart) met Sept. 7, 2021, to consider initial allocations for projects using the federal funding. The Commissioners voted to approve the allocations. (below)

Generators for emergency shelters – $1,800,00
Narcan for Sheriff’s Office, Fire Departments – $140,000
Mortgage assistance program – $2,000,000
Rental assistance program – $1,500,000
Trade job training program – $2,000,000
Small local business assistance program – $3,500,000
Aid to non-profits serving residents affected by COVID-19 – $3,500
Mobile technology lab and bookmobile (public library) – $500,000
Affordable housing project in Shaw Heights – $10,000,000
Homeless shelter – site selection and design costs – $250,000
First-time homebuyers’ program – $2,500,000
Sanitary Sewer System in Shaw Heights – $5,000,000
Comprehensive countywide feasibility study for water and sewer – $2,000,000


NC REALTORS® State of Real Estate Talking Points

NC REALTORS ® provided their annual State of Real Estate event this month. Below is just a snapshot of various topics regarding affordable workforce housing as well as the link to all of the presentations.

Talking points from NC Senator Chuck Evans

  • Government is preventing affordable housing (regulations, building codes)
  • Senate Bill 349 has been introduced – increase housing opportunities and requires municipalities on residential property to allow duplexes, triplexes, accessory dwellings etc. if no home owners association or historic district is in place
  • 75% percent of property is zoned single family only
  • The bill would help lower income for a mortgage from $54,000 for single family to $31,000 for a duplex etc. Giant difference and more access for the American dream.  This would be paramount to repairing our society.

Q – What are the obstacles to SB 349?
A – local government and removing control, local control should be property owner

Q – How do you respond?
A – Try to convince them to relax regulations.  SB349 has not received much love this year.  I’m more embolden to get groups across the U.S. to support this

Q – Do you have supporters?

A – CATO, groups in DC, conservative workgroups, American Legislative Exchange Council

Q – How should REALTORS® educate them?
A – Ronald Reagan introduced similar legislation.  I put together a flyer.  This bill respects free market and rejects current socialist approach.

Q – How do you tackle “not in my backyard?”
A – The ultimate right is the property owner

Three larger metro area Mayors providing insight as to how they have tackled the very serious issues of lack of workforce housing and lack of housing in their cities.   

City of Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin

  • We allow accessory dwelling units and give homeowners a choice
  • We encourage missing middle housing, duplexes, tri-plexes in 80% of city before single family residential
  • Allowed text changes July 6 on Council to allow cottage courts (tiny houses).  We removed the regulations against them.  We now allow them being constructed now.
  • The city sold a piece of property for $1.00 to a developer to build a cottage court community.
  • We are working on a text change for tiny homes. Working on that now.
  • We are working on flag lots (long lots) similar to the ones in Atlanta.  It is a smarter way for land use. Working on the text change.
  • Reducing minimum lot sizes and parking requirements
  • Working with Wake County on underutilized property
  • New zoning to allow for density
  • Incentivizing developers to include workforce transit into housing projects
  • Land swaps and gap funding
  • Expedited approvals on projects
  • Reduction in impact fees
  • Creation of municipal influence district
  • Partnering with land trust
  • Approved 80-million-dollar housing bond…72% of voters approved this
  • Public/private partnerships to add more affordable housing
  • Low-income housing tax credits for GAP funding to developers
  • Homeowner rehabilitation program, reduces gentrification
  • Downpayment assistance

City of Durham Mayor Steve Schewel

  • Allowing developers to build duplexes, tri-plexes, flag lots etc.
  • Single-family zoning won’t work
  • 95 million housing bond was passed in 2019
  • 15 million is going for housing lower income people
  • Promoting new mixed income neighborhoods
  • Creating 2,000 rental until and 400 low-income homes
  • Promoting housing loans, low interest loans from Duke University & Suntrust

City of Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles – slideshow coming soon

City of Fayetteville Wants Feedback on 2022 City Budget

2023 Budget Logo            
Citizens “Can Do” the budget too and we need your participation!      

Fayetteville Residents,   Your Voice Matters! 
The City of Fayetteville is preparing for the fiscal year 2023 budget process and wants to hear your feedback in a short survey.

This survey is open and will remain available for comment until January 30, 2022.   

Please complete the brief survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CITIZENSCANDOBUDGET. 

Citizens “Can Do” the budget too and we need your participation!   Thank you! We look forward to your responses   Respectfully, The City of Fayetteville Budget Office 
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Public Input for Spring Lake Land Use Plan

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Spring Lake Land Use Plan Public Meeting Sept. 30

Sep 21, 2021

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County Planning and Inspections invites Spring Lake area community members to attend a public open house meeting to create a new Spring Lake area land use plan called Spring Lake Area Visioning the Future. The meeting will be on Sept. 30 at the Spring Lake Recreation Center located at 245 Ruth Street. Attendees may arrive anytime between 6 and 8 p.m.

The land use plan will not change the current zoning or use of property. Participants who attend the public meeting will help planners understand the needs and values of Spring Lake area stakeholders.

For more information about the Spring Lake Land Use Plan visit spring-lake-area-land-use-plan-cumberlandgis.hub.arcgis.com. Residents who cannot attend the meeting in person and want to provide feedback may do so by visiting the website or calling 910-678-7612.

The current Spring Lake Area Land Use Plan was adopted in 2002. Cumberland County Planning staff routinely updates area land use plans, and the Spring Lake Plan Area is the department’s latest project.

“We are excited to engage with stakeholders to create this plan which will guide future zoning decisions and identify potential pathways to community goals,” said Annette Massari, a planner with Cumberland County Planning and Inspections.

The Spring Lake Plan Area is bounded to the west by Fort Bragg, to the south by Fort Bragg, Johnson Farm Road, Elliot Farm Road, and Elliot Bridge Road, to the east by parcel lines between Elliot Bridge Road and Ramsey Street, and to the north by the Harnett County line.

The process of creating a new land use plan begins with public input from as many stakeholders as possible through in-person meetings and online engagement. Planning staff uses public input, area research, and planning knowledge to draft a plan which is then shared with the public for further input. Once a final version of the plan is written, it is presented for adoption at a series of public meetings to the Joint Planning Board, Town Aldermen, and County Commissioners. Once adopted, the Spring Lake Area Visioning the Future plan will replace the existing plan for the Spring Lake area.

The mailing list for the Spring Lake Area Visioning the Future plan is based on property owners listed in Cumberland County tax records. Property owners are encouraged to share information with renters in the community.

For more information about Cumberland County Planning and Inspections and comprehensive planning, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/planning-group/planning-and-inspections.

City of Fayetteville Accepting Applications to Various Boards & Commissions

Boards and Commissions applications open

Post Date:09/13/2021 3:54 PM

(Fayetteville, N.C.) – The City of Fayetteville has vacancies for the following Boards and Commissions. Fayetteville residents can apply.:

  • Board of Advisors for the Woodpeckers Capital Reserve Account – 4 Vacancies
  • Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Board – 2 Vacancies
  • Joint City and County Appearance Commission – 1 Vacancy
  • Stormwater Advisory Board – 1 Vacancy

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on October 13, 2021. All qualified applications will be presented to the Appointment Committee in October. The Fayetteville City Council will approve Boards and Commissions members at a meeting in November.

The City will accept applications via the website www.fayettevillenc.gov. Residents should click “City Council”, scroll down to “Boards and Commissions” and click “Vacancies”. 

Sanford Jetport Receiving Federal/State Funding for Improvements

The following news article is from the Sanford Herald in Sanford, North Carolina.

$4 million-plus OK’d for work at Jetport

  • By NANCY MCCLEARY NMCCLEARY@SANFORDHERALD.COM
  • The Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford is one of 13 airports in North Carolina approved for federal and state funding for improvements, according to the N.C. Board of Transportation.

The Jetport will receive $4.77 million for construction of new taxi lanes and improvement to existing lanes, a Department of Transportation release said.

The Jetport, located off U.S. 1, is billed as “a premier corporate gateway to the Research Triangle,” according to its website.

The airport is located on 700 acres and is home to corporate aircraft given its proximity to Raleigh, the website said.

In May, work began on a new corporate hangar at the airport.

Earlier in the year, the airport was linked to the City of Sanford’s public sewer project, a $2.7 million project that was funded,in part by the Golden LEAF economic development foundation, a news release said.

The transportation board also approved funding at its Sept. 2 meeting for projects at airports in Louisburg; the Statesville Regional Airport; Mount Airy/Surry County Airport; Michael J. Smith Field in Beaufort; Martin County Airport in Williamston; Macon County Airport in Franklin; Lumberton Regional Airport; Lincolnton-Lincoln County Regional Airport; Laurinburg-Maxton Airport; Hyde County Airport in Englehard; Duplin County Airport in Kenansville; and Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo.