LUMBERTON — The Lumber River State Park would receive about $2.5 million for what a park spokesman calls “traditional park development” if voters on Tuesday approve the state’s $2 billion bond package.
“The last time a bond referendum included the state parks was in 1993,” Charlie Peek, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Parks System, said late Thursday. “And that year the proposed bond package passed overwhelmingly.”
Peek said that while $2.5 million sounds like a lot of money, when projects involve new construction or upgrades to existing infrastructure, money goes quickly
Although there are general ideas floating around on how money would be used to make the Lumber River State Park more attractive to visitors, Peek said that none of the ideas are “carved in stone.”
“We can’t invest a lot in making specific plans until we know for sure that the bond package is going to pass,” Peek said.
According to Peek, the traditional park development items that can be expected to beef up Lumber River State Park include campgrounds; boat access areas; picnic areas; hiking trails; and paved access areas. Also, there is need for the construction of water and waste disposal systems.
“There’s been some development in the area, but when it comes to putting in infrastructure we’re almost at Ground Zero,” Peek said.
Peek said that the park service would use some of the money to upgrade and develop Wire Pasture, a public access area that is located on park property adjacent to land that was part of the former N.C. Indian Cultural Center.
“When developed, this will be similar to what we have now along the river at Wagram Chalk Banks and Princess Anne,” Peek said.
Overall, Robeson County would get about $32 million of bond money if voters give their approval. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke would receive $23 million, and about $7 million would go to Robeson Community College.
Robeson County communities will also have the chance to share in about $300 million available statewide for sewer and water grants.
Advocates of the bond package are promoting passage by ensuring that voters are aware that the financial condition of the state is now perfect for borrowing to fund long-overdue projects. Interest rates are low, and because the state is currently paying off existing debt quickly there would be no need for an increase in taxes, bond advocates say.
According to Robin Cummings, chancellor at UNCP, the $23 million would be used to fund construction of a new building to house the university’s School of Business. Cummings is campaigning hard for approval of the bond package, and has an opinion pieces in today’s newspaper on page 4A in support of passage.
Robeson Community College officials are banking on the bond package approval so that they can upgrade the college’s Emergency Training Center and Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Building.
College officials also want to use some of the bond money to update the F.G. Williams Student Center, renovate science labs and make improvements to utilities and bathrooms.
Polling sites throughout Robeson County will be open Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
