They process more than 500 requests a year for new construction, additions/alterations and revisions, and final landscape/building exterior inspections.
CAC also assists village personnel in evaluating the appearance of properties. State law limits what CAC and village authorities can enforce, except when a public nuisance or safety hazards are involved.
Outside of those primary, enforceable criteria, most property owners respond to courteous urgings to improve. I once flagged to a village officer a badly overgrown yard, belonging to an out-of-state owner, who cleaned the place up after one letter.
Infrequently, there are less cooperative owners. In one case, two years’ worth of phone calls and letters yielded no results. But persuasion ultimately led to repainting a badly deteriorated exterior.
I’m reminded of a longstanding system of quality control, practiced in industry, whereby the frequency of formal inspection of products is increased or lowered based on the level of rejects experienced. Happily, where property appearance is concerned, occasional complaint calls from citizens serve us well, and formal, regular inspection tours by paid personnel are not required.
Not limited to Pinehurst, I’m sure many share my gratitude for the good work that busy municipal and volunteer personnel do to maintain high architectural and appearance standards in this special part of North Carolina.
Dick Bisbe
Pinehurst
