In their first meeting of 2026, the Spring Lake Board of Commissioners held a public hearing and unanimously approved a new ordinance that extends the town’s corporate limits to allow for new commercial development. Commissioners also passed a resolution regarding 911 emergency operations for the town. Let’s break it down.
Corporate Limits
At the crowded meeting on Monday, commissioners approved the annexation and rezoning of property located at 1523 N. Bragg Blvd. to allow for new commercial development. The about 1.19 acres of land, which sits on the north side of Spring Lake near Manchester Road, will be annexed into Spring Lake’s jurisdiction and rezoned from residential to planned commercial zoning restrictions to meet the town’s ordinances for the planned development. The developers of this newly annexed land are James and Pennapa Hinnant, owners of Thai Esan Restaurant, located on North Main Street in Spring Lake.
A representative for the developers from Kimley-Horn and Associates, an engineering firm, said the area will include a gas station, potential for several quick-service restaurants, and space for a bank.
Mayor Pro Tem Fredricka Sutherland questioned whether the town had the capacity to provide water and sewer services to the newly annexed area, noting the ongoing issues with water and sewer systems throughout Spring Lake.
Town Manager Jon Rorie said the town’s systems already extend to the area, and can be supplied with water purchased by Spring Lake from Fayetteville PWC.
911 Center Consolidation
In November 2025, Fayetteville City Council and Cumberland County Board of Commissioners members met to discuss the potential to combine 911 services into a joint, county-wide operation. Attendees disagreed over who should operate the Joint 911 Operations Center, with the county urging for a joint operation and Fayetteville officials advocating for the center to be under city control. An agreement was not reached at this meeting, and discussions regarding the Joint 911 Operations Center remain ongoing.
At their Monday meeting, Spring Lake Commissioners approved a resolution expressing support for the county to receive full funding and management responsibility for the potential consolidated center, and providing notice to discontinue paying a yearly 911 subsidy payment to the county.
Rorie said that in 2009, Spring Lake entered into a long-term agreement with the county that allowed the county to take over ownership and operation of 911 services for Spring Lake. In return, the town pays the county a $135,000 per-year subsidy to cover the cost of staffing.
Monday’s resolution, which serves as formal notice of the town’s intent to halt the subsidy payments, cites concerns of duplicate taxes being assessed on Spring Lake residents for 911 services. Spring Lake residents, Rorie said, are taxed by both the county and the town through an ad valorem model—a system the county moved to last year—and both the county and town agree to provide residents with services like water, sewer, and public safety.
Rorie said that under the original agreement, the subsidy cost was meant to be reevaluated should the county receive any state 911 funding. However, Rorie said, that never happened.
He said the county will receive about $676,000 in state public safety funding this year, prompting Spring Lake to issue notice of withdrawal from this agreement and urging the county to “ensure continued high-quality, centralized 911 operations countywide.”
The potential discontinuation of these subsidy payments, and renegotiation of the contract with the county, does not halt 911 services for Spring Lake residents.
“The withdrawal of the agreement is about discontinuing to pay for the staff, not withdrawing from 911,” Rorie said.
The Spring Lake Board of Commissioners meets again at 6 p.m., Monday, January 26 at Spring Lake Town Hall, 300 Ruth St.
