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Council backs 'J. Pleasant Hines' idea and agrees to seek input on Pool Park rename; Morganton Road complex to be branded 'Southern Pines Sports Park'
Summary
Staff presented historic and neighborhood‑based options to replace 'Pool Park'; councilmembers favored naming the facility for J. Pleasant Hines while asking for public and advisory‑board input before a vote; staff also proposed branding the Morganton Road complex as Southern Pines Sports Park to improve wayfinding.
Southern Pines staff asked council June 24 whether the town should rename Pool Park to better reflect its facilities and history and whether the town should rebrand the Morganton Road/Sparks complex. Staff presented several options — including J. Pleasant Hines Park (honoring an early local mayor), Broadway Park (for Amos Broadway), Honey Bee Field, and Victory Park — and told council they had paused sign orders pending direction.
Parks staff noted Pool Park is more than a pool: the site includes a new basketball court, playground, a multipurpose field and is a frequent rental. Staff also proposed renaming the Morganton Road/Sparks complex to 'Southern Pines Sports Park' to unify the campus, preserve historic sub‑field names (Armory Field, Optimus Field) and improve recognition outside Moore County. Staff said Moore County GIS assigned a new street address (605 West Morganton Road) to help emergency services and wayfinding.
Several councilmembers expressed support for honoring local history. Council Member (speaker 6) said he would likely pick Hines Park, calling it a strong nod to local history, and Council Member (speaker 3) also said she preferred the fuller name, "J. Pleasant Hines Park," while emphasizing the importance of advisory‑board and constituent input. Council directed staff to solicit feedback from West Southern Pines advisory bodies and, if no substantive objections are received, to place a final vote on the July 22 meeting agenda.
If approved, staff said they would preserve existing historic field names within the campus while using 'Southern Pines Sports Park' as the overall campus brand. The council did not take a final vote but set a near‑term timeline for community input and a potential July vote.
The matter will return to the July 22 meeting for a decision if no significant negative feedback arises during the outreach period.
