Princeton to get matching funds for memorial park
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on September 15, 2005 1:47 PM
PRINCETON -- Princeton will get a $64,913 matching federal grant for its Ray Floors Memorial Park.
Mayor Don Rains made the announcement during the last town board meeting. He said the grant will be matched with local funds and other grants.
Now, Princeton has a total of $255,995 of the needed $304,655 for the park, Rains said. The other money included $152,325 from the state Department of Parks and Recreation trust fund and $38,757 from Johnston County.
With the federal grant, Rains said the town will be ready to start the second phase of construction, including walking trails, restrooms, playgrounds, an amphitheater, a garden and a parking lot.
The first phase included infrastructure, the mayor said.
Rains also noted Princeton has received almost $3 million in grants and low-interest loans. About $2.1 million was for the water and sewer system and the remainder was for a new town hall.
Rains commended Town Clerk Marla Ashworth and other town employees for their tireless work in the last four years in obtaining the money. About three-fourths of the money came in the form of grants.
Three pieces of property have been annexed by the town at the request of the owners -- the Daniel Davis car lot on Smith Street, Myde Reid's vacant lot on West Railroad Street and the town's wastewater treatment plant on Pineview Street.
The car lot was touching the town, the vacant lot was surrounded by the town and the sewer plant was annexed as a satellite within the town's zoning jurisdiction.
No one spoke during a public hearing on the three properties during the last town board meeting. Commissioner Larry Withrow's joint motion to annex the three properties passed unanimously.
The town board also got a look at a preliminary design of the proposed town hall, next to the Fire Department, on Dr. Donnie Jones Boulevard.
"The basic design, I like it fine," Mayor Don Rains said.
Engineer Tyrus Clayton of New Bern presented the design and revised it slightly to add an after-hours entrance for the Police Department.
Terri Sutton, who chairs the Veterans' Day Committee, asked that a memorial for veterans be placed on the side of the building so a meditation area and benches would not be in the front at the main entrance. Mrs. Sutton also reminded the town board of the annual Veterans' Day program on Nov. 5.
Rains said the building's design was similar to the Four Oaks Town Hall and could not be changed much once the project is put up for bids.
In other business:
*Elmer Capps complained to the board that he was charged a $25 fee for moving a tenant from one rental home to another while the first one was being repaired. Capps, a former mayoral candidate, said landlords were "puppets" and "victims" of what the board does. Mrs. Ashworth, the town clerk, said the fee was charged to all residents who move within the town.
*The board discussed the town's railroad crossings on Barden, Pine, Center and Pearl streets. At times, a train will block all four crossings, hindering police, fire and rescue personnel. The board will discuss the issue again Oct. 3.