For years, residents of Seven Lakes West have enjoyed what might be called "most-favored nation" status at the gates of Seven Lakes North and South, being waived though by the gate guards simply because their windshield bore the Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] sticker.

And residents of Seven Lakes North and South have enjoyed that same easy access to Seven Lakes West, waived through by the guard on the basis of their Seven Lakes Landowners Association [SLLA] sticker.

All of that may be about to change.

Conversation at the Wednesday, January 25 SLLA Open Meeting revealed that Seven Lakes West is planning a change to its access policies that will eliminate automatic entry to the community for vehicles bearing SLLA stickers. And it appears that the SLLA Board may respond in kind.

SLWLA President Mick Herdrich told The Times that, while an ad hoc access control committee has in fact proposed changes, the proposed policy has not been formally presented to the Westside Board, let alone approved.

And it appears that the release of a unfortunately-worded draft document on SLWLA letterhead may have fueled suspicions that the new policy is aimed directly at North and South-siders -- something that Herdrich is quick to deny.

The Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] is inches away from completing an agreement with the Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway Company that will protect the community's front entrance, making the Lakeway Drive rail crossing a permanent, public crossing with gate arms and signals.

Members of the SLWLA Board, the railroad, and other affected businesses and landowners have been negotiating behind the scenes for weeks to complete the agreement.

Absent a deal, it is possible that the crossing could be permanently closed.

The Board, late Thursday, announced a special meeting to be held on Thursday, February 2 at 7:00 pm to present details of the crossing agreement to the membership, take public comment, and vote on the agreement. A final meeting of the various parties to the agreement is scheduled for earlier in the day on February 2, SLWLA Legal Director Jack Stevens told The Times.

While it is clear that the agreement will include payments from the Association and, possibly, other affected parties to the Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway [ACWR], the size of the payments and the identity of the other parties to the agreement have not been released, pending completion of the negotiations.

With fifty members in attendance at the Tuesday, January 25 Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] meeting, Secretary Jane Sessler introduced the three candidates that are running for seats on the Board of Directors:Jim Pierman, Bruce Keyser Sr., and Dan Blue.

Sessler said said she was “very happy and very gratified to have three very well-qualified candidates to run for the Board for next year.” The candidates introduced themselves during the meeting.

Pierman, who has lived on the Westside for four years, said “It’s hard to express how neat this community is. It is really a super, super place to be.” He added, “I think about where I could have retired, and I think I hit the right spot.”

Having worked with the Lake Auman Sports Club and volunteering at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, Pierman said “I really feel great that I am going to have an opportunity to go ahead and work here in the community -- right in Seven Lakes West.”

Keyser, who has lived in the Seven Lakes area for thirty-one years, said he agreed to run after being approached by the Nominating Committee. “I understand it has been difficult to get members of this community to say ‘yes’ to participation and being a Board member," he said.

Keyser said the SLWLA Board has done “a wonderful job” and that, as a result, “we are a wonderful community.” Addressing his approach to Board service, Keyser said he plans to listen to the members of the community and then make his decision on issues as they arise.

Blue was also asked to serve by the Nominating Committee. Blue has owned a Westside lot since 1988, but does not own a home in Seven Lakes West. Blue told members: “I am the lot owner; I don't live here, so I guess I am the token.”

Blue and his wife live thirty minutes away but visit Seven Lakes on the weekends. “I look forward to being of service to you,” he said.

The Nominating Committee “cast a very wide net” in its search for candidates, Sessler said, adding that committee members spoke with fifty potential candidates.

“I want you to know we spent a lot of time," she said, "and we are absolutely thrilled that these three men have stepped forward. Each one of them brings a unique perspective to our Board for next year.”

SLWLA members will have an opportunity to vote for the three new candidates at the annual meeting in March. Current Board members John Hoffmann, Adam Wimberly, and John Goodman will be leaving the Board after serving three-year terms.

Moore County is looking for public input this week on two key initiatives: a rewrite of the Zoning and Subdivision ordinances called the "Unified Development Ordinance" [UDO], and a Working Land Protection Plan that aims to help preserve the County's farms and timberlands.

The Planning Board has been reviewing the UDO for months, and will hold public work sessions on Monday and Tuesday, January 23 & 24 at 6:00 pm, in the Commissioners meeting room of the Historic Courthouse in Carthage. The Board hopes to receive input from interested members of the public in these meetings.

The draft UDO can be viewed on the County's website.

Working Lands Plan

Gathering additional public input on the The Working Land Protection Plan is the goal of three meetings co-sponsored by the Planning Department and the Soil and Water Conservation Board. Moore County's Board of Commissioners asked for additional public input on the plan before approving it.

The purpose of the plan is to provide an assessment of the farm and forest industries in Moore County, identify their challenges and opportunities, and develop a set of strategies and actions that will protect the county's working lands and promote the agricultural economy. This plan was developed after intensive research was conducted involving statistical analysis, published reports, and surveys and interviews with local producers, business operators, residents, and agricultural support personnel.

Having a Working Lands Protection plan in place can help the county qualify for increased funding to implement preservation strategies.

The draft plan is available on the county's website. 

Three meetings have been scheduled this week:

Aberdeen Elementary School Auditorium, Monday, January 23, 9:00am-11:00am

Vass-Lakeview Elementary School Media Center/Library, Tuesday, January 24, 3:30pm-5:30pm

Robbins Elementary School Auditorium, Thursday, January 26, 6:00pm-8:00pm.

There's a “new owner at Pine Forest,” Planning Director Debra Ensminger reported to the Board of Commissioners during their Annual Budget Retreat on Thursday, January 19.

Who that new owner is has yet to be revealed, but Ensminger expects to meet with them on February 20, she told the Board. It was also not clear whether the "new owner" had acquired the entire development, or only portions of it.

Ensminger said she had been notified of the ownership change via and email from Hobbs-Upchurch and Associates, the Southern Pines engineering firm retained by MHK, Inc. to draw plans for Pine Forest.

She told The Times that working with a new Pine Forest developer would be like “starting at square one.”

“We thought that the developer who was developing this was going to go forward,” said Commissioner Tim Lea, who voted against the rezoning of Pine Forest back in July.

“Now, we found out that Pine Forest has been sold to another developer. Are we going to have another developer the next time we get ready to make a decision on this?”

“Why would a new owner buy?” Commissioner Nick Picerno asked. “We have not approved any water or sewer.”

It took more than two years for Florida-based MHK, Inc. to win approval of Planned Unit Development zoning for the nearly 1700 acre property that stretches north of NC Highway 211 from West Pine Middle School to West End.

Though the rezoning was approved, the Commissioners have not finalized agreements to bring county water to the property -- or related agreements that would bring wastewater from another MHK development -- the Dormie Club on NC Highway 73 -- for processing at a private wastewater treatment plant proposed for Pine Forest.