Board agrees to pursue lease for Special Forces memorial site near Moore County Airport

A foundation led by retired Special Forces officers presented a plan March 18 for a National Special Forces Green Berets memorial park on roughly 15 acres adjacent to the Moore County Airport. After the presentation, the Board of Commissioners voted to pursue a long-term lease and to assist with preliminary approvals needed for the project.

The proposal and vote Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Kurt Wiehmueller, president of the National Special Forces Green Berets Memorial Foundation, described a master plan that includes bronze statues, black granite memorial walls and a central Special Forces crest. The group requested a long-term lease (the foundation suggested a 99-year lease at a nominal fee) and a nonbinding letter of intent to help with fundraising.

Commission discussion County staff and commissioners raised procedural questions about whether the parcel is airport property subject to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant assurances and noted the airport authority's prior involvement. Airport Director Rick Cloutier confirmed the parcel lies inside an area with FAA grant assurances and that the county would need to pursue a release or an FAA relief for non-aeronautical use. Cloutier said the airport had started a process to declare the parcel "not needed," which would free it from certain grant obligations, but further steps were required.

Motion and board direction A commissioner moved that the county pursue a lease at a nominal rate (board discussion referenced $1 per year) and request the delegation or a letter to federal representatives to help expedite FAA matters; the motion passed by voice vote. Commissioners advised staff to coordinate with the airport authority and FAA and noted that any formal lease would require tri-party arrangements if the airport retained control under existing grant assurances.

Why it matters The proposed memorial seeks to locate near Fort Bragg and aims to attract visitors and events tied to the Special Forces community, the presentation argued. Commissioners indicated support for facilitating the project but emphasized that completion of technical reviews, airport authority coordination, FAA approvals and a formal lease approval would be required before any transfer or use of the property could proceed.

Next steps County staff and airport leadership will continue to assess whether the parcel can be released from FAA grant assurances, develop a draft lease for board review and coordinate with the foundation on a possible letter of intent. The board asked staff to involve the airport authority in any tri-party lease discussions and to report back with recommended language and a timeline for approvals.

Formal action The board passed a motion to pursue negotiations on a long-term lease at a nominal annual rent and to send a letter to federal representatives to expedite FAA consideration; staff were directed to research the necessary tri-party arrangements and the upset-bid/disposal procedures the county must follow for the property.