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Commissioners direct staff to trim courthouse azaleas, budgeted master plan to follow
Summary
After lengthy public comment and input from town officials, the board directed staff to trim the large azalea plantings around the courthouse after they bloom and to bring a previously budgeted $25,000 courthouse grounds master-plan back to the board for review.
The Board discussed eight azalea plantings on the courthouse grounds that residents and town officials said had become overgrown and a maintenance and safety concern. Commissioners heard from Burgaw leaders and residents who said the shrubs had grown into electrical panels, held debris and created hiding spaces at public events. Town officials and parks staff said the plantings had been pruned repeatedly over many years and some recommended removal; others preferred trimming and a broader master plan for the courthouse square.
Zach White, parks and recreation director, told the board county staff could trim the azaleas but that removal could require a contractor because electrical outlets are located behind some plantings. White also said the county budget includes $25,000 in the current fiscal year for a courthouse-square master plan; staff intends to present that plan to the board on Feb. 3.
Board direction Commissioners directed staff to wait until after the azaleas bloom this spring, then perform more thorough trimming and cleanup; the board also asked staff to prepare and present the courthouse master-plan scope and cost estimates (including removal and restoration costs if the board later chooses removal rather than trimming).
Public safety and operations Speakers stressed safety for families attending events on the square and the need for more manageable landscaping. Commissioners said they would not vote to remove all azaleas immediately but supported a timetable to trim and to return with a plan that could recommend replacement plantings such as dwarf azaleas in sensitive locations.
Ending Staff will trim the shrubs after bloom and bring a draft master-plan scope and cost estimate to the board at the Feb. 3 meeting; if removal is pursued later, staff will include costs for soil, turf and contractor work in the plan.
