Pinehurst Today

Over the next five years, the Village of Pinehurst will be spending $1.85 million from an extensive sidewalk project, which will connect the historic downtown district to parks, school and other public areas and facilities, according to the Sandhills Sentinel.

Once the project is finished, the village will be more walkable, according to the Sandhills Sentinel.

Contractors have been approved to begin work too, according to another article published by the Sandhills Sentinel.  The Southern Pines Town Council approved the contractor to be able to work on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

A new position will also be created for part of the plan, according to the Sandhills Sentinel. The Transportation Planner will identify issues that traffic causes. The planer will also come up with solutions for these problems. 

During the meeting where the council approved the contractor to work on Saturdays, a concerned citizen came forward and asked for quiet Saturdays. But the council still passed the measure during the virtual meeting. 

“People have been constructing on Saturdays for quite some time,” Reagan Parsons, town manager for Southern Pines, said at the meeting. 

He also said inspections won't be happening on weekends, according to the Sandhills Sentinel.

“The building industry understands,” he said during the remote meeting. “I don’t expect that to be an issue.”

Mayor Carol Haney applauded the citizen for being active and concerned, but said the measure makes it clear what the contractor can't do, according to the Sandhills Sentinel.

"It’s very clear as to what you can and cannot do,” she said during the meeting.

 She also noted that businesses aren't the only ones to make noise on weekends. 

“Homeowners can make all the noise they want on Saturdays,” she at the virtual meeting. “We make more noise than probably the contractors.”

While work can begin by the contractor on Saturdays, Haney said at the meeting that the amendment can still be altered if need be. 

The Village Council also approved a resolution, which allows other boards in the village to have virtual meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Sandhills Sentinel.