"NATIONAL NIGHT OUT" AT COMMUNITY PARK

Town OKs a new Mallard Road subdivision plan
It includes "age targeted" neighborhoods for retirees

Mallard Crossing is the name of the revised subdivision plan that received unanimous approval from the Smithfield Town Council Tuesday evening. Previously approved for 2,005 housing units, the 491-acre tract will accommodate 1,327 units in the new plan put together by a new group of developers.

Lead developer Paul Luck said his team, which includes multi-state builder Ryan Homes, believes its project will add $500 million to the local tax base with a mixture of 873 single-family dwellings and 454 townhouses. The original plan for the site included 824 apartments, but those have been eliminated, Mr. Luck emphasized.

He told the council he envisions "seven distinct neighborhoods" spread out along Mallard Road, with "a large part targeted to retirees." (He used the term "age targeted" to describe that particular element of the project.)

Stephen Wensman, the town's planning director, said the Mallard Crossing plan calls for sidewalks on both sides of all streets, a sidewalk along Mallard Road on one side and a multi-use trail on the other, plus a second pedestrian and biking trail toward the back of the subdivision.

"Amenity areas" in the plan include swimming pools, playground equipment, dog parks, and pickleball courts.

None of the proposed building lots are smaller than 5,000 square feet, Mr. Wensman pointed out. That's larger than lots in the recently completed East River subdivision on the north side of town, he noted.

Mr. Duck said the developers intend to spend $10 million on infrastructure to support their project, including a pipeline crossing beneath I-95 to connect to Smithfield's sewer system. Mr. Wensman said the developers are open to voluntary annexation to the town. In response, the council added annexation as a stipulation accompanying approval of the Mallard Crossing plan.

Mr. Duck said the project's schedule calls for construction of houses to begin next year, with the first units ready for sale in 2027 – in time for celebration of Smithfield's 250th birthday as a town, he added.

No one voiced opposition to the revised plan during Tuesday's public hearing, and Mr. Wensman said he was unaware of any objections from nearby property owners.

The reduced reproduction below of the Mallard Crossing master plan illustrates the project's scope. Brogden Road is shown along the left side. Mallard Road curves through the site left to right from Brogden Road toward the upper right-hand corner.


 

Three candidates apply for appointment to council

Mayor Andy Moore at Tuesday's meeting announced the names of candidates who have submitted applications for the vacant Town Council seat. Two of them – Felicia Baxter and Dr. Gettys Cohen Jr. – will be on the ballot for election in November to full four-year terms. A third candidate, Nariman Jeff Jaminia, is seeking appointment to serve until December, when the newly elected council member will take office.

The seat in question became vacant upon the death of Councilman Marlon Lee in May. It must be filled by a resident of the town's East Smithfield electoral district.

A "meet and greet" open house to allow the public at large to talk with the three candidates is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (August 12) in the Council Chamber at Town Hall. The council may make the appointment at its next regularly scheduled meeting on August 19.

Contract awarded for "speed humps" beside splash pad

The council approved a bid of $4,750 by Denton Contracting of Pikeville to install a couple of "speed humps" on Martin Luther King Drive between the Eva Ennis Splash Pad and Smith-Collins Park. The town is ordering signs with solar-powered flashing lights warning motorists of the crosswalk – at a cost of $1,798 plus shipping.

A "speed hump" is a slightly longer road fixture than a conventional "speed bump."

Public Works Director Lawrence Davis noted that the project's final bill will be less than the $10,000 budgeted for it. The crosswalk was one of the last projects pushed by Councilman Lee for his district prior to his death.

New police officer sworn in; three vacancies remain

Kelvin Cruz took the oath of office Tuesday to join Smithfield's police force. The department currently has three officer vacancies, Town Manager Mike Scott noted.

On a related matter, the council approved Police Chief Pete Hedrick's request to seek a state grant from the Governor's Highway Safety Program to cover the cost of hiring and equipping an additional officer who will concentrate on traffic safety.

Chief Hedrick said the grant would cover $494,000 of the new position's cost over three years, with the town matching the grant with another $135,000 to cover salary, benefits, equipment, and a patrol vehicle.

Retirement of town's ElectriCities debt celebrated

Mayor Moore cheered the final payment made July 1 on the town's share of a loan incurred by 32 Eastern N.C. municipalities in 1982 to help pay for generating capacity at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant.

Town Manager Scott said the town's monthly payments had amounted to about $1.1 million annually. The debt went away a decade after the municipalities operating under ElectriCities sold their power-generating assets to Duke Energy in 2015.
 

The County of Johnston put this year's property-tax bills in the mail on Monday. Now folks know exactly how much they owe in the wake of steeper-than-usual adjustments in just about everyone's real-estate valuations earlier this year.

The bills may be paid with installments or in full any time between now and next January 6 without interest added for late payment. "Partial payments may be made at any time," Tax Administrator Jocelyn Andrews emphasized during Monday morning's meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners.

A quirk in the system is how property taxes are collected on motor vehicles. Because those payments are linked to license-plate renewals, there's a three-month gap between the setting of new tax rates by local governments and license-renewal bills sent out by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, Ms. Andrews pointed out.

As a result, the first bills on vehicles reflecting the new tax rates are those to be sent out with an October 31 due date. "This is not something new," Ms. Andrews said, also noting that it's the state, not the county, that determines valuations for individual motor vehicles from year to year.

Reporting on the past year's property-tax collections, Ms. Andrews said Johnston County finished the fiscal year June 30 with $203,933 uncollected out of a total levy of $171,380,729. That's a collection rate of 99.88% – in line with Johnston's rates in recent years which have been among the highest in North Carolina.

Ms. Andrews also noted that almost 44% of the past year's uncollected taxes are blocked by bankruptcy proceedings. That "has increased dramatically," she added.

Johnston County's Tax Office has an online portal for paying property taxes>

How much should developers be charged for growth?

Commissioners postponed adoption of higher System Development Fees on new residential subdivisions until their September 18 meeting. Chairman Butch Lawter said the board needs more time "to think through" staff's proposal to move toward higher "allowable" fees over several years rather than all at once.

System Development Fees are one-time assessments paid by real-estate developers to cover calculated costs of water and sewer infrastructure required for newly constructed houses served by county utilities. Presently, the basic fee is $4,750 per new residence. The county's staff is recommending an increase to $6,000 – the first of several yearly increases to reach $8,980 recently recommended by consultants.

Commissioner Bill Stovall declared his support for moving to the top-level fee immediately as an assurance to the county's current water and sewer customers that "growth pays for growth."

Also postponed Monday was the board's adoption of new "bulk capacity" fees paid by the Town of Smithfield and four other nearby municipalities that pipe their sewage to the county's treatment plant. An increase of 3%, effective November 1, is what the staff has proposed. (The Town of Smithfield has already served notice that it will pass along that increase to its sewer customers once the new fees are in effect.)

Some big numbers to boost Child Support Awareness

Commissioners adopted a resolution proclaiming August as "Child Support Awareness Month" after hearing a report that Johnston County's Child Support Office averages more than 5,000 open cases. "On any given day?" asked Commissioner Ted Godwin. "Yes," responded Assistant County Attorney Dionne Fortner, who works closely with 13 agents in the county's Child Support Office. She said the agency collected almost $15.5 million in legally authorized support payments this past year.

Commissioners make numerous board appointments

Voting by written ballots in cases with more applicants than positions available, commissioners confirmed the following appointments Monday:
• Johnston Community College Board – Laura Link of Powhatan Road, Clayton newly appointed.
• County Board of Equalization and Review – Robert Richie of Davis Farm Drive, Selma newly appointed to fill a vacancy.
• County Board of Adjustments – Jon McConnell of Winston Road, Clayton and Alan Piepenburg of White Oaks Farms Drive, Willow Spring newly appointed; Flint M. Benson of Elevation Road, Benson reappointed.
• Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action Board – James Gathers Jr. of Devil's Racetrack Road, Four Oaks newly appointed.

Other appointments made Monday for unopposed applicants:
• County Board of Health – dentist James Matthew Oldham newly appointed.
• Industrial Facilities Financing Authority – Jesse W. (Skip) Green Jr. reappointed.
• Livestock Arena Management Board – Chad E. Holloman, Paul H. (Sonny) Howard Jr., Eric W. Honeycutt, and Connor Edwin Peacock reappointed.
 

REUNION FOR THE SHS CLASS OF 1955
A portion of the 56 members of the Smithfield High School Class of 1955 gathered for their 70-year class reunion July 26: (left to right) seated – Sherry Creech Peterson, Jean Corbett Adams, Shirley Price Wallace, Betty Sue Hamilton Stanfield, Joann Coats Morgan, Charlotte Edwards Hoyt: second row – Teresa Upchurch Johnson, Rachel Stevens Corbett, Genevieve McLamb Taylor, Janet Wall Brown, Steve Upton, Brenda Register Ham; in back – Charles Edwards and J. Frank (Monty) Montgomery. Class members still living but absent: Joyce Strickland Upton, Lehman Barnes, and Jennie Blow Lane Smithwick. (Contributed photo)
 

Ernie Allsbrook
returns as Legion
Post commander

First elected commander of Smithfield's American Legion Post 132 in 2012 and serving for nine years, Ernie Allsbrook has been elected a second time. District Commander Pam Meek was on hand for his recent installation. The post, which meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday at its meeting hall on Pitchi Street, currently has 56 members. (Contributed photo)
 

 WHAT'S COMING UP 

River Rat Regatta on the Neuse postponed till August 23
Because of higher-than-normal water levels on the river after heavy flooding upstream this week, the annual cardboard-boat race has been postponed two weeks – from this weekend to Saturday morning, August 23.
More details about the event on the Smithfield Parks & Recreation website>

Board of Education's monthly meeting next Tuesday
The Johnston County Board of Education is scheduled to convene at 4 p.m. Tuesday for its regular monthly meeting, held at the school system's headquarters on US 70 Business East, Smithfield. VIEW the agenda once it's posted online> 
 

  DEATHS AND FUNERALS  
Click on the name to read an obituary, usually posted by the funeral home:

DORIS DAVIS JOHNSON, 87 – died August 4

DOROTHY LOU DENNING, 77 – died August 1

JERRY WAYNE CREECH, 72 – died July 30
 

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 A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR 

Another stroll down Smithfield's "Memory Lane"...

The Howell Theatre's advertisement that appeared regularly in Smithfield High School yearbooks in the 1950s and 1960s featured several of the school's cheerleaders standing beneath the movie house's marquee (which was removed to make way for sidewalk canopies years ago). "We're cheering for the Howell" was the usual message below the photographs. That's an appropriate rallying cry as we head into a fund-raising campaign to restore the movie house to its original grandeur....


This is the ad that appeared in the 1958 edition of The Shield. The three cheerleaders in the photo aren't identified but elsewhere in that yearbook is a list of that year's squad: Emily Faulk, Clyda Lynn Boyette, Priscilla Lassiter, Julie Hooks, Ruthie Wellons, Sashie Skinner, and Judy Laughter.

You can pull up digital versions of Smithfield High yearbooks (1925-1926, 1950-1969) through a link on the SHS Alumni Association's website>

Original copies of the yearbooks are also available for viewing (but not for checking out) at the Johnston County Heritage Center.
 

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