Pinehurstâs proposed budget for the upcoming year forecasts a continued rebound from the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This time last year, village leaders budgeted cautiously as they waited the economic fallout to everything from sales tax collections to facility rentals. What happened as the pandemic has played out through 2020 and into 2021 has been a mixed bag as far as effects on Pinehurstâs revenues streams go.
Part of the 1.5-cent tax property increase proposed for the 2022 fiscal year is a holdover from last year, when the Village Council decided to delay a half-cent increase so as not to compound unforeseen effects the pandemic might have on Pinehurst residents. The other penny worth of increase, which will bring in an estimated $381,000 in revenue, will support the villageâs acquisition of Given Memorial Library and the Tufts Archives.
Of all the projects proposed for West Pinehurst Community Park, a skateboarding facility appears to be the runaway favorite.
During a virtual workshop on Tuesday evening, the majority of participants said they want to see a skate park built on the 74-acre property. The workshop was organized by McAdams Consulting, a firm hired by the village to gather public feedback on potential uses for the site.
Last month, the firm asked people to vote for their most-wanted amenities by dropping digital markers on an aerial image of the property. About 36 percent of respondents had voted for a skate park as of Wednesday, making it by far the most popular choice.
Pinehurst has approved plans for a 38-home subdivision off of Blake Boulevard near N.C. 5 with a handful of conditions that the developer has agreed to meet.
The Village Council considered the preliminary plat for whatâs being called the âPinehurst South Cottagesâ on Tuesday after an initial review last month. Pinehurstâs planning and zoning board recommended approval in November.
Developer Marcel Goneau and The Cottages at Legacy Lakes, LLC first approached the village about the area off of Blake Boulevard in 2019, proposing a 160-home subdivision on 41 acres. But that proposal and the associated rezoning request never made it past the planning board.