LUMBERTON — The City Council on Monday tabled a request for a conditional-use permit that is needed for a youth center with council members saying they need more information about how the center will operate and be funded.
Nathaniel Stubbs has proposed the center to be located at 3150 Martin Luther King Drive. According to his brother, Jeremiah Stubbs, it would be used as a satellite site for a program that would eventually serve other counties besides Robeson.
“We are attempting to create a program that would mentor young people and provide them computer access and music lessons,” Stubbs told the council .”I don’t know why anyone would want to deny this. There isn’t much here for young people to do.”
Brandon Love, the city’s Planning director, said that the Planning Board recommended denial of the permit because the applicant on numerous occasions had not supplied requested information. The recommendation for denial was made at the most recent Planning Board meeting, Love said, after no one representing the applicant was present when the board reviewed the application.
The council tabled consideration of the permit at the request of Councilman Robert Jones, who wanted to give the applicant more time to submit information to the Planning Board.
“We want to support this because of the potential that is there,” Jones said.
Love said that at the last Planning Board meeting the “merits of the program” were not argued.
The council on Monday also authorized the city’s Public Works director to move ahead on acquiring a $493,800 loan from the N.C. Clean Water State Revolving Fund for sewer work.
The director of Public Works, Rob Armstrong, told council members that the money will be used to fund the repair of a sanitary sewer outfall line. The need for rehabilitating the line became evident, he said, after the line collapsed twice in the past year and a half. He said that without repair, there would be other collapses in the line.
In other business, council members:
— Granted final approval for the purchase of “high density storage” metal shelving for the new Lumberton Police Department building from Patterson-Pope at a cost of $98,652.
— Approved a conditional-use permit for K&L Veterans Home & Services to operate a halfway house for veterans at 903 Glenn St. The permit was granted with the conditions that the home not be occupied by more than seven veterans and a caretaker; veterans living at the home must be honorably discharged; no residents can be convicted felons; and the home at 411 Carthage Road now being used by K&L to house veterans must no longer operate.
The Glenn Street location was used by K&L as a halfway house from August 2011 until December 2012 before the home was in foreclosure.
— Agreed to give the Lumberton Police Department permission to accept a motorcycle donation from National Insurance Crime Bureau.
— Granted permission for the Lumberton Fire Department to enter into a mutual-aid services agreement with the Raft Swamp Fire Department.
— Recognized City Attorney James Bryan for his service to the city for the past two years. Bryan has resigned to become an assistant attorney for Durham County.
— Recognized Theresa Barnes on her retirement. Barnes was a city employee for 35 years.
— Directed the city staff to pursue options for the old city hall/fire station.
— Awarded a contract with BB&T for professional banking services.
— Approved the designation of $300 of Community Revitalization Funds for a handicap ramp in Precinct 4.












