Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/602787
NOVEMBER 18-24, 2015 UCW 13 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM The Fayet tev ille Cit y Council has chosen to put a park s and recreat ion bond referendum on t he March 15 ballot . Voters w ill be asked to approve a $ 32 .1 m i l l i o n p l a n . T h e r e i s s o m e q u e s t i o n a s t o w h e t h e r o r n o t t h e C i t y o f Fa y e t t e v i l l e c a n p r e p a r e t h e b o n d i s s u e p r o p o s a l , m e e t t h e B o a r d o f E l e c t i o n s d e a d l i n e a n d g e t a l l t h e d e t a i l e d i n f o r m a t i o n o u t t o v o t e r s i n t h e n e x t f o u r m o n t h s . C i t y M a n a g e r Te d Vo o r h e e s s a i d i t i s d o a b l e ; h ow e v e r, s o m e q u e s t i o n s r e m a i n u n a n s w e r e d . • How much would t a xes be increased if it 's approved? • W hat 's t he tot al cost of amor t izing t he bonds? • W here would t he various facilit ies be located? • How much would it cost to operate t he facilit ies? Voorhees said t hat he plans to have t hese quest ions answered for cit y council by t he end of December. The cit y council w ill t hen begin t he process of deciding whet her it likes t he locat ions chosen for t he upgrades. That process could be slowed dow n if council members can't agree. Promot ional ef for t s would likely begin in mid-Januar y, or about eight week s f rom t he vote. The law doesn't allow t he cit y it self to promote t he proposal, rat her it can prov ide informat ion. And t he way t hat 's done w ill have to pass muster of t he cit y at torney. Private groups suppor t ing o r o p p o s i n g t h e r e f e r e n d u m c o u l d u n d e r t a k e e f f o r t s o f t h e i r ow n t o t r y a n d i n f l u e n c e v o t e r s . Ne x t y e a r 's v o t e w i l l c o m e w h i l e r e s i d e n t s a r e a l s o g e t t i n g p s yc h e d u p a b o u t t h e p r e s i d e n t i a l p r i m a r i e s a n d o t h e r v o t e s s c h e d u l e d f o r M a r c h 15 . T h e h o p e i s t h a t t h e v o t e r t u r n o u t w i l l b e e n t hu s i a s t i c . W hile all of t his is going on, t he cit y also want s to engage a private organizat ion to come up w it h a plan for a mult i-million-dollar at hlet ic complex which it would build. The company would t hen lease it to t he cit y. This has become a popular approach for government s at all levels. Here in Fayet tev ille, a private company built t he new $120 million healt hcare center. The VA leases it at a cost of millions a year. Questions Arise As Parks and Rec Referendum Moves Forward by JEFF THOMPSON Fayet tev ille's newest Wal-Mar t Neighborhood Market is now open in t he Murchison Market place shopping center. It 's located at t he intersect ion of Murchison Road and Pamalee Drive, t wo miles f rom t he new I-295 interchange. Murchison Road w ill link t his area all t he way to I-95 in t he near f ut ure. It occupies ground where a former Winn Dixie once stood nearly 20 years ago. That former once v it al st rip center had, over t ime, degraded into v ir t ually an empt y lot w it h only a couple of small businesses. A Family Dollar store recent ly moved out and a brand new one was built in a resident ial neighborhood f ur t her sout h, across f rom Perk ins Dr y Cleaners. The new st rip mall is a 101,000+ sq. f t . neighborhood center anchored by t he Walmar t Market . The 41,000 sq. f t . grocer y store ser ves an area which was once labeled a " food deser t ." Since t he Winn Dixie folded and t he V-Point Supermarket at t he sout hern end of Murchison Road closed, t here has been no f ull-ser v ice groceries w it hin t he area. Unt il recent ly, public t ranspor t at ion wasn't available — for all intent s and purposes st randing many people w it hout access to f resh produce, meat s, bread and milk and ot her st aples. The Fayet tev ille Area System of Transit f illed t hat void when it created a new bus route along Pamalee Drive and Murchison Road which was f unded by Fayet tev ille St ate Universit y. The shopping center is surrounded by many resident ial neighborhoods which historically have been an under-ser ved ret ail area which Wal-Mar t developers now believe t ranslates into oppor t unit y. The shopping center is being heralded as t he most signif icant economic development in t he area in decades. Seven adjoining available store spaces range f rom 700 sq. f t . to 9,100 sq. f t . A Murphy gas st at ion is also on t he proper t y. Walmart Market Brings Full- Service Grocery to Community by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS