Since
the former Hotel Gabriel
Johnston was sold almost
24 years ago by the Town
of Smithfield to a group
of local investors,
several efforts to entice
prospective developers to
buy the building and fix
it up have come up short.
Not this time. Noviomagus,
LLC purchased the property
on December 30 for
$250,000.
Sarah
Edwards, director of the
non-profit Downtown
Smithfield Development
Corporation, reported this
week on Facebook that "we’ve
met the new owners and are
looking forward to sharing
more once they’ve
finalized their plans,
which tentatively include
mixed use with commercial
space and upscale
apartments."
Fourth Street Associates,
LLC – headed by Smithfield
attorney Charles Mast and
CPA Lee Jackson – bought
the building and adjacent
parking lot from the town
for $165,477
in April 1999. Opened as a
hotel in 1937, it served
as Smithfield's Municipal
Building from 1962 until
the present Town Hall was
built in 1998.
The vacant building has
fallen into disrepair over
the past couple of
decades. In an apparent
attempt to avoid
condemnation and
demolition, the Smithfield
Town Council just last
month adopted a resolution
designating the property
as a "Community
Development Target Area"
(in accordance with a new
state statute) that's "in
special need of
revitalization for the
benefit and welfare of its
citizens."
Meanwhile, across Fourth
Street from the old hotel
is another historic
structure presently
undergoing revitalization.
Jirehtech Inc. – a
real-estate development
company based in
Morrisville – last year
purchased the Bingham
House, where renovations
have included replacement
of the original wood
siding and removal of twin
chimneys at either end.
Built around 1850, it is
believed to be
Smithfield's oldest
residence standing where
it was built (the older
Hastings House has been
moved twice since it was
built in the 1830s). The
Bingham House is presently
not listed among homes for
sale here.
Two
local projects advance
in "Year of the Trail"
• County backs study for Smithfield-Benson
connection
•
Town to seek
grants for a
sidewalk to West
Smithfield
Last
year's session of the N.C.
General Assembly declared
2023 as the "Year of the
Trail" to showcase and
promote the state's
emerging system of
pedestrian and cycling
greenways. In response,
numerous grants are now
available to launch new
projects. Two local
requests got the green
light this week:
• Johnston's County
Commissioners on Tuesday
authorized staff to apply
for Federal Highway
Administration funds for a
Paved Trail Feasibility
Study of a component of
the East Coast Greenway
from Smithfield to Benson.
Presently the East Coast
route uses existing
greenway trails such as
Smithfield's beside the
river, but mostly follows
established highways such
as US 301.
• Smithfield's Town
Council on Tuesday
authorized staff to apply
for two grants to cover
80% of the cost of
constructing an
eight-foot-wide paved
trail on the north side of
West Market Street (US 70
Business) from the river
bridge to Wilson's Mills
Road. Cost of the West
Smithfield Trail Project
is estimated at
$2,345,000, which would
require a contribution of
about $480,000 from the
town, Planning Director
Stephen Wensman told the
council.
"Where are we coming up
with $480,000?" asked
Councilman Travis Scott,
who noted the town has
higher priorities such as
"potholes in the roads."
Town Manager Mike Scott
offered several financing
options, including an
appropriation from the
town's General Fund
Balance, federal American
Rescue Plan funds received
by the town, and money set
aside for park projects
from the sale of the
former Bingham Park
property (for the SECU
Hospice House) and fees
from developers in lieu of
providing park facilities
with their projects.
"We have a good
opportunity to get this
money," the town manager
said. "We're being
encouraged to put in for
these grants."
The council was assured
that it has the option of
refusing the grants if
they're approved and the
town finds it faces more
pressing needs for local
funds.
Town's
annual financial audit:
"everything looks good"
That
was the word from Alan
Thompson, a principal in
the Whiteville-based firm
that conducts the annual
check-up, in his report to
the Town Council on
Tuesday. He noted that the
town's General Fund
Balance at the end of the
2021-22 fiscal year last
June 30 had grown to
$16,120,101 – up
significantly from a
balance of $12,268,997
four years earlier.
The town's Electric Fund
Balance, meanwhile, ended
the past year at
$19,930,142 while the
Water and Sewer Fund
Balance was $28,103,059 –
up from $23,584,921 the
year before. All in all,
he called the latest audit
"a good, strong report."
Two
officers added to town's
short-staffed police
force
Taking
oaths of office Tuesday
were Joseph Robert Young,
previously employed by the
Wilson County Sheriff's
Department, and Lorenzo
Babore, who recently
completed Basic Law
Enforcement Training at
Johnston Community
College. The Police
Department's monthly
report to the council –
filed before the new men
were sworn in – showed
nine vacancies in the
ranks of patrol officers.
Smithfield
rep reappointed to
Public Library's board
The
council appointed Jane
Shipman to a second term
on the Board of Trustees
of the Public Library of
Johnston County and
Smithfield. Vacancies on
other boards filled by
Town Council appointments
include three positions on
the Historic Properties
Commission and four on the
Parks and Recreation
Advisory Commission – two
seats for adults, two for
high-school student
representatives.
Craig
James to fill a second
District Court vacancy
Governor
Roy Cooper has appointed
Craig James to serve as a
District Court Judge for
Johnston, Harnett, and Lee
counties. He's to fill a
vacancy created by the
recent election of Chief
District Judge Paul
Holcombe to a Superior
Court judgeship here.
Mr. James has served as a
District Court judge since
last April, when the
Governor appointed him to
finish the unexpired term
of Judge Addie Rawls, who
resigned last January 31.
Travis Wheeler was elected
in November to fill that
seat through 2026.
The term now filled by
Judge James expires at the
end of 2024.
Before
his appointment last year,
Mr. James was a solo
practitioner of law, based
in Smithfield. He has
served in the U.S. Army
and earned his Bachelor of
Arts and Juris Doctor
degrees from North
Carolina Central
University.
County
grants infrastructure
aid to municipalities
The
County Commissioners,
meeting Tuesday instead of
Monday because of the New
Year's holiday, allocated
the entire $5.5 million
they had budgeted for
grants to help Johnston's
municipalities pay for
water, sewer, and drainage
projects. They re-opened
the application process
last month after requests
totaled less than $4
million.
Recipients of grants
approved by Tuesday's
action:
• Town of Smithfield –
$500,000 for water-plant
improvements, $500,000 for
purchase of wastewater
treatment capacity from
the county.
• Town of Selma –
$330,000 for water-line
upgrade, $500,000 for
county wastewater
treatment capacity.
• Town of Benson – $
500,000 for an elevated
water tank.
•
Town of Clayton – $800,000
for a meter relocation and
strategic placement
project.
• Town of Four Oaks –
$500,000 for county
wastewater treatment
capacity.
• Town of Pine Level –
$500,000 for water-meter
replacements, $500,000 for
county wastewater
treatment capacity.
• Town of Princeton –
$445,228 for a beaver-dam
project.
• Town of Kenly – $426,870
for asbestos cement
water-line replacement.
The total exceeds the $5.5
million budgeted by
$2,098, which will be
covered by county
contingency funds. Most of
the total is being
funded with federal
COVID-relief money from
ARPA, the American Rescue
Plan Act.
The
towns of Archer Lodge,
Micro, and Wilson's Mills
did not apply for grants.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
Carl Spragins basketball court
dedication January 27
Smithfield-Selma High School announced this week that the new date for the court dedication honoring the late Coach Carl Spragins is Friday, January 27. Family and friends will meet in the Media Center from 5:30 to 6:30 and the dedication will take place in the gymnasium around 7 p.m. (between the girls' and boys' games).
Neuse
Charter basketball boys
are 12-3; girls are 8-5
Both
teams closed out 2022 with
losses to North Johnston
High in a holiday
tournament last Thursday
after wins over Spring
Creek High the day before.
Leading the Cougar boys in
Wednesday's 76-43 victory
was senior Sire Holmes
with 24 points while
senior Donollyn Tyrell
scored 15, senior Darian
Murray 14, and senior
Philip Sullivan 13. Holmes
had 25 points in the 56-45
loss to North Johnston.
Leading the Cougar girls
in the 45-35 win over
Spring Creek was sophomore
Cayley Cochran with 19
points, followed by senior
Lyndsy Parrish with 15.
Parrish had 12 and Cochran
10 in the 45-30 loss to
North Johnston.
Both Neuse Charter teams
resume play this Friday at
home against the N.C.
School and Science and
Math. Conference play
starts next Tuesday at
North Duplin.
WHAT'S
COMING UP?
Board
of Education's monthly
meeting next Tuesday
The
Johnston County Board of
Education will hold its
regular monthly meeting
Tuesday afternoon in the
schools' headquarters on
US 70 Business east of
Smithfield. The meeting
usually begins with a
closed session at 4 p.m.
followed by the open
business session around 5
p.m. VIEW the
agenda once it's
posted>
Forum
on new police chief's
employment Tuesday
The
Town of Smithfield's drop-in
Community Forum on
employtment of a new chief
of police continues from 6
to 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday at
Town Hall. Smithfield is
looking for a successor to
Chief Keith Powell, who
retired November 30.
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
Click
on the name to read an
obituary, usually posted
by the funeral home
BARBARA JEAN
COATS KORNEGAY WALLACE,
84 – died January 3
MILDRED
(LINDA) JOHNSON
SULLIVAN, 78 – died
January 1
SUE POPE
THOMAS, 77 – died
January 1
BETTY HOOKS
ADAMS CHRISTMAS, 81
– died December 31
CHARLES
LYNWOOD RENFROW, 76
– died December 31
MAGGIE WEST
SULLIVAN, 91 – died
December 30
GENEVIEVE
MEDLIN BERGE WOODALL, 97
– died December 29
SHELBY JEAN
OLIVE, 86 – died
December 28
EUTIMIO
(TONY) RODRIGUEZ, 69
– died December 24
A
PUBLIC SERVICE
ANNOUNCEMENT
A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR
County's
leaders wrestle with
controlling growth
Johnston's
County Commissioners have
been struggling to reach
agreement on a new version
of the county's
Comprehensive Land Use
Plan. The key element to
be determined is how to
respond to citizens' cries
for slowing the pace of
residential real-estate
development in rural
Johnston while maintaining
landowners' freedom to
choose what becomes of
their properties.
Beneath that is an issue
of fairness: Many
landowners, especially
long-time farm families,
have already sold their
properties to subdivision
developers. How, then, can
you deny that freedom to
those whose economic
conditions push them to do
the same in years to come?
Beyond that is what's fair
for Johnston County's
taxpayers and utility
customers who will foot
the bills for the
infrastructure to serve a
continuation of suburban
sprawl. That includes
water and sewer services,
law-enforcement
protection, public
schools, and highway
improvements.
One of the answers is
something commissioners
apparently agree upon:
channeling most of the
residential growth from
now on closer to
municipalities where
public services can be
provided more
economically.
Commissioners' Chairman
Butch Lawter led the board
this week toward some
decision-making deadlines.
First of all, each
commissioner's preferences
for what the new plan
should and should not
include must be provided
to the county's planning
staff by the board's
February 6 meeting. Then
commissioners can hash it
all out as they work
toward a final public
hearing followed by
adoption of the plan in
April.
Even then, the work don't
be finished. Once the plan
is in place, commissioners
will have to wrestle with
the details of ordinance
modifications to carry it
out.
This is hard work. But
that's what our political
leaders (advised by us
citizens) are elected to
do.
LINKS to
elements of the proposed
plan are posted on the
county's website>
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