Developer plans 170-acre community behind Wallace Walmart

The Wallace Town Council voted at its Feb. 12 meeting to schedule a public hearing for March 12 on a proposed 170-acre development known as Bryant Farm on River Road behind Walmart.

Plans call for a mix of single-family homes and townhouses along with two recreational facilities with pools and amenities.

Town Manager Rob Taylor said the planning board has already approved the plans. After the public hearing, the council will need to approve a zoning change to “planned unit development” before construction can begin.

The property is within the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, but the developer has already requested annexation after zoning approval.

The board also held public hearings and voted to annex three properties into town limits: the wastewater treatment plant, a water tower site along N.C. Highway 117 and Farrior Park.

Parks and Recreation Director David Bizzell told the board participation in town sports programs has grown 12 percent. He outlined plans to build tennis and soccer complexes at Farrior Park and a splash pad at another park.

To pursue grants for the complexes, the board approved creating a parks and recreation reserve fund to pay grant writer John Wood for preparing the application. The board also approved Taylor’s request to appropriate $23,000 for the grant preparation, with those funds to be repaid from the sale of the Rose House.

Council member Glenn Price questioned Taylor and Public Services Director Brent Dean about emergency repairs to the town’s recently completed sewer and lift station project, built to serve the growing area between Tin City and River Landing. A joint failure in the new line caused a sewage leak.

“My understanding is there was a joint that blew out and it blew out because the bolts were not torqued,” Price said.

The issue was reported to the state, as required, but the state has yet to respond.

Taylor said the town relied on Stroud Engineering for oversight, adding, “We worked with Stroud Engineering who had people on site, but we weren’t on site.”

Dean said the site had been cleaned up but that some sewage had entered a nearby pond before the repair.

“It’s disturbing that what is probably the critical junction coming off the pump, highest pressure, and no one torques the bolts to the right spec,” Price said. “It’s a brand-new project and we’re sitting here holding the bag. I understand they came and fixed it, but we extended manhours and time for something that shouldn’t have happened because of improper oversight. I’m not happy about it.”

“I’ll let Stroud know,” Taylor said.

Mayor Pro Tem Francisco Rivas-Diaz, presiding in the absence of Mayor Jason Wells, opened the meeting by presenting a proclamation to Tasha Herring in honor of her late mother, Lillie Martin. Martin was the first African-American businesswoman in Duplin County and was recognized for her contributions to the community.

The council’s budget retreat is scheduled for March 5-6.