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PINK HILL — After years of frustration among local business owners and residents, small changes to zoning rules in Pink Hill are beginning to breathe new life into the town’s economy and community spaces.
Mayor Mike Horne, a former town commissioner who served from 1997 to 2007, returned to public service after witnessing how policy changes were hindering opportunities for development. He specifically points to a decision made by a previous town board to outsource zoning and permitting to an external agency that lacked familiarity with Pink Hill’s unique layout and needs.
“People were having to jump through too many hoops to get into town,” Horne said in an interview with Duplin Journal.
“They’re not from Pink Hill and they don’t understand the area,” said Horne about the former agency. “In a small town, it’s hard to have a perfect plan. You have a home and then a business, and then another home.”
That mismatch led to real consequences, he explained that a Mexican restaurant was temporarily shut down due to zoning restrictions, and a new event venue downtown struggled to meet parking requirements that were nearly impossible given the space available.
“That venue holds 100 people. There was no way to build a parking lot where the buildings are downtown,” Horne said. After taking office, he led efforts to bring zoning authority back to the town.
Since the change, the Mexican restaurant has reopened, and the event venue is now booked regularly, drawing visitors into the town.
Horne says signs of growth are returning to the area. He said some of the growth is coming to the edge of the town limits, especially on Ash Davis Road.
“There have probably been 25 houses added in the area just outside the town limits,” he said, adding they are a combination of manufactured homes and stick-built houses. “We’ve had some good things going on and I see good things coming in the future, more residential.”
Still, growth isn’t without its challenges. Property prices, Horne notes, have risen significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I remember in Pink Hill, not that long ago, when you could buy a house for $75,000 to $100,000. Now, that same house is over $200,000.”
Even with higher prices, Horne remains optimistic that Pink Hill is on the path to renewal. He recalls the town’s heyday, when it was home to car dealerships and textile plants, and believes local decisions, especially around zoning and development will play a key role in bringing back that vibrancy.
“You want as much business as you can possibly get and revitalize,” he said.
