Anita Hammonds Blanks

PEMBROKE — The Lumbee Tribal Council on Thursday in a split vote agreed to purchase 88 acres of land on Candy Park Road for $704,920 and 100 acres of tribal-owned land in Raynham.

The property, located adjacent to the Pembroke Senior Village, is currently owned by Venture Properties of Pembroke. Venture Properties is owned by Pembroke businessman Greg Bryant.

The vote was 9 to 7. Three of the 21 council members were absent from Thursday’s meeting, while two members had to recuse themselves from the vote.

Opposition to the purchase has come predominantly from members of the Lumbee Tribal Reform group, a citizens group that labels itself a watchdog over tribal government operations. Eric Locklear, a a self-described community activist who is not associated with the group, said the $700,000 could be used to benefit tribal members in different areas of the territory, not just Pembroke.

“The people are not driving the governmental cart,” he said. “The people are not benefiting from the governmental cart, and the people running our government and profiting from the government have long been profiting from the weaknesses of our people.”

Priscilla Jacobs, a former employee of the tribe’s Energy Department and member of group, agreed.

“That’s 100 acres of land that is being taken out of the Raynham community and given to Pembroke,” Jacobs said this morning. “Why couldn’t it have been used for something like a community center in Raynham?”

No one spoke in opposition to the sale or any other tribal issues during the council’s public comment period.

The land purchase was approved as part of an amendment to the tribe’s 2014-15 fiscal year budget that also includes receipt of two health services grants totaling more than $253,000.

Tony Hunt, the tribe’s administrator, said plans for the property include construction of single-family homes for veterans. The homes could be transitional or permanent for the veterans and their families who use the services of a veterans health and information clinic also proposed for the property, said Hunt.

Hunt said the tribe hopes to use new-market credits to help fund construction.

“We maybe can make two projects because there is already water and sewer there,” he said.

Council member Anita Hammonds Blanks, who opposes the land sale, unsuccessfully attempted to the land purchase removed from the budget amendment and allow the council’s Finance Committee to consider another use for the $704,920.

“By spending all of that money in one land purchase you are basically preventing any housing projects in any of your individual districts,” she told council members.

Blanks noted that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has told the tribe it can’t purchase any additional land with federal funds until it uses what land the tribe already owns. The deal with Venture Properties, she said, is just a land swap and does not do anything to reduce the amount of tribal-owned land that is not being used for housing.

Blanks also questioned the tribe’s plans to fund the development of the 88 acres using tax credits.

“What if the tax credits are not approved?” she said. “This is pie in the sky. I want some specific plans.”

The council also authorized the tribal administration to borrow money needed to purchase and construct a single-family home on a lot within the Pinecrest Village subdivision in Lumberton. The purchase and construction of the home is being conducted as a pilot program where those individuals who exceed the HUD income guidelines for funding, but don’t qualify for a traditional mortgage, can still receive assistance.