LUMBERTON — Construction of a barn and 100 horse stalls adjacent to the Southeastern North Carolina Agricultural Events Center’s pavilion is on hold as state officials once again review site plans for the project, according to Kent Yelverton, director of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Property and Construction Division.
Yelverton said that the state is reviewing project site plans to ensure that the barn and stalls are in compliance with all local building code regulations dealing with fire protection. He said the city of Lumberton had some questions about fire hydrant flow and layout when it reviewed the site plans.
“We may need additional fire hydrants or to locate the stalls differently on the site,” Yelverton told The Robesonian on Wednesday. “This is something that impacts us as we move forward with the site work and look into the future at vertical construction.”
According to Yelverton, city crews did the site work in mid-August and have finished all the work that can be done on the site until the state reviews and possibly modifies the site plan.
“We have obtained an architect in case the site plan has to be modified,” Yelverton said. “We want to make sure that the site work the city is doing won’t need to be done twice, and that what work being done will be moving us in a forward direction.”
Local officials and others have recently voiced concerns over the project’s delay. They said they were under the impression that construction of the long-awaited stalls was about to begin.
In mid-June, local and state officials, as well as members of the Borderbelt Horseman’s Association, met and finalized design and site plans for the project. To move the project quickly, the group had decided to begin Phase II of the project, which leads to the actual vertical construction of the barn and stalls, as the site work began in August. An updated cost analysis for the construction was to be conducted and design plans finalized. Bids were to go out shortly after for the steel modular structure that will include stalls built-back-to back.
Supporters of the project say the stalls will draw large, multi-day horse shows to Robeson County. The barn and stalls will be constructed on about 2.5 acres adjacent to the Agricultural Center’s pavilion, the multi-events center that opened three years ago off U.S. 74 just outside of Lumberton.
Robeson County Commissioner Tom Taylor said early this week that he thought the project was moving forward as had been decided in June. He said that the county and Lumberton are losing money that those participating in horse shows would invest in the local economy.
“They will use our restaurants, hotels, gas stations and other businesses,” he said.
Taylor said he would like to see the state move the project along as quickly as possible.
“It seems that everything is going along well and then someone shoots us out of the saddle,” he said.
Cecil Jackson, the vice president of the Borderbelt Horseman’s Association, said the delay has caused his association to cancel two multi-day horse shows in 2015 and relocate two major American Quarter Horse Association sanctioned shows to the state equestrian center in Williamston.
“Without the stalls we can not adequately grow,” Jackson said. “Those who take part in shows at the pavilion like the facility, but they will not come here for multi-day shows without stalls.”
The state has not allocated any money for construction of the stalls. The $590,000 for project was raised locally. The Robeson County Board of Commissioners has contributed $117,000 toward the stalls, with the city of Lumberton allocating up to $30,000 for materials used in site work, as well as providing no limit on labor and equipment for the site work. The state Horse Council and the state Horse Council Foundation have raised more than $400,000 through donations and sponsorships.
Yelverton said Wednesday that money to cover vertical construction expenses is still “a little short,” but said that plans are to move forward and build whatever number of stalls possible with the funds available.
“As we get more money additional stalls can be built,” he said.
According to Yelverton, bids on the project have not yet been taken. He said that it will be at least next spring before construction of the stalls is complete.
“We need to put these stalls on the grounds and in use as soon as possible,” said Yelverton. “We’re in the process of working to do that.”
