[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6628881,"mediaKeyId","2713686-95e34cf44ceb02c2fa8a10681470d942","parentId",2713686,"title","Rocky Mount staff outline Imagine Rocky Mount 2050 process, timeline and draft vision","audioSeconds",1734,"startMs",328000,"endMs",2062000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2713686-95e34cf44ceb02c2fa8a10681470d942&start=328&end=2062","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2713686-95e34cf44ceb02c2fa8a10681470d942/thumbnail_328000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6628881/Rocky-Mount/Nash-County/North-Carolina/Rocky-Mount-staff-outline-Imagine-Rocky-Mount-2050-process-timeline-and-draft-vision","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628881-61a4048a5115dd2b3f8fdf28d1767977/orig.mp4?Expires=1771025695&Signature=JqP70akxNEi1v0KKHJVhXIma6Ed12~eRxe4tXywQuD7E1sABHNRff8mkh-JXs8CHpamYHAcylopX~73V9gVEbP0lZKgOcN4GMQEF~fQGGetOdJNoM85U4C4YtBgUCGRV5pHoT4HJHm7s8RimeY18xnWwCQruwTHiGZn8CurmxhPUjtxnNs16gqL46uuIsbgqT-aBYzus5woGi3~tfd4YYFoIVcmq41rHEgoBKgQwdNLozmP8VuqlVebaObmSeNxft4Ize2zi0nI~2uGnNDEJFsSIgvR5ggchrbJWPB1pM0lMAzkEBHPV4HdunQgQroI2yBVdqGvChMqRg1FPMSADJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rocky Mount","date","2025-03-20T16:07:38.34Z","article","Joseph Bowcook, director of Development Services for the City of Rocky Mount, told a city retreat that the administration has restarted the city’s comprehensive-plan update, branded Imagine Rocky Mount 2050, and outlined a public-engagement summary, a draft vision statement and next steps for hiring a consultant.

Bowcook said the update grew out of a recognition that “change is necessary,” citing demographic and economic shifts and state requirements that local governments keep land-development plans current. He described the comprehensive plan as “more than just a document” and said it will guide zoning, capital investments and implementation priorities across the city.

The presentation traced Rocky Mount’s planning history, noting an early plan adopted roughly 60 years ago and subsequent efforts in 1975 and 1993. Bowcook said the plan currently in force, Together Tomorrow, was adopted in 2003 and has since been supplemented by corridor studies, housing initiatives and hazard-mitigation work. He described public engagement for the current effort as a series of pop-up meetings, citywide workshops and online surveys that reached “more than 1,200 people.”

Bowcook presented a draft vision statement developed from that outreach: “Rocky Mount is a unified city where individuals, families, and businesses are supported, connected with one another, and empowered to grow. Equitable growth across Edgecombe and Nash counties has elevated the city as a regional hub of economic prosperity, where neighborhoods are safe and affordable, and convenient access for all residents to jobs, transportation, education, healthcare, and community amenities.” He said the draft vision was paired with five goal areas: a thriving economy; neighborhoods for everyone; a healthy environment; community building; and equitable investment.

Bowcook acknowledged a recent setback — the termination of the initial consultant contract — and laid out a revised procurement approach. He said staff plans to issue a request for proposals (RFP) “at the end of the month” (as stated at the retreat), hold a pre-proposal conference about a week later, accept proposals through mid-April, and notify the selected consultant in early May. He described the desired deliverables as including an interactive web platform with 3-D visualization and scenario analytics, rigorous land-use scenario planning and a clear implementation strategy.

During the question-and-answer period, Councilmember Jason Seth asked about council approval of the contract and suggested the total consultant cost “may exceed $90,000.” Bowcook said the council could participate in selection and that staff would summarize responses and invite representatives from a recommended firm to meet the council before awarding a contract. Multiple council members asked that the steering committee be reconsidered; Bowcook and other staff asked council members to think about potential appointees and noted that council would be able to appoint members.

Bowcook asked retreat participants for input on the steering committee’s composition and on the level of council involvement in consultant selection. A staff member described the anticipated selection process: staff will summarize proposals, make a recommendation, and arrange for the recommended firm to meet the council prior to award.

No formal votes or contract awards were taken at the retreat. Staff described the RFP timeline and requested council feedback on steering-committee appointments and selection participation. Next steps, as described by staff, are issuing the RFP, evaluating proposals, and returning to council to introduce the recommended consultant team before a contract is executed.

Notes and open items from the retreat that staff recorded included: clarifying the exact RFP release date (staff stated “end of the month” at the meeting), confirming the expected contract amount and final council role in consultant selection, and council members preparing nominee names for steering-committee seats.

Bowcook closed by reiterating that the comprehensive plan will serve as a long-range blueprint to align zoning, capital investments and policy decisions with the city’s shared vision.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Retreat, March 20 (Morning)","oneSentenceSummary","Joseph Bowcook, director of Development Services for the City of Rocky Mount, told a city retreat that staff will issue a request for proposals and continue public engagement as part of Imagine Rocky Mount 2050, presenting a draft vision and five goal areas after outreach that reached more than 1,200 people.","taxTitle","Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina","taxId",5685,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6628878,"Wilmington delegation shares downtown-revitalization tools and programs with Rocky Mount retreat",2597,2685000,5282000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2713686-95e34cf44ceb02c2fa8a10681470d942&start=2685&end=5282","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2713686-95e34cf44ceb02c2fa8a10681470d942/thumbnail_2685000.jpg","/articles/6628878/Rocky-Mount/Nash-County/North-Carolina/Wilmington-delegation-shares-downtown-revitalization-tools-and-programs-with-Rocky-Mount-retreat","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6628878-4ec6eac672a9cb15d1a98705dd7136ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1771025695&Signature=JlnPYeZjDuBm67mXyHak-013fUa97cpY7Ztof1gh-excb1HJFE4wu5j0y9oxdvv-ufYZKRdCds4w~bNpcl6Fbt8Kqzchi43ZACke3DracOPAv-bfo~szsgjjseQguKBt4oSSjVPxNBIOCsZNTyS-PN42OnrAk~RX~eOAMjO2LQg9AnzakTwtoiSZyYl7vTFnRR37BUBXgYQELN2zb2Qq4idw3CmMVj-pdi02p0qWf8ToKJ0sFh4gboENpqVKbiaJliLHB72Y9g02JA5jk1rADMAWwN~fjEyzcWTP869UATqoy2gQX4QZL9k~d~wdww0IX6jSYZ1E2ElDPuyIyb0v-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from the City of Wilmington and Wilmington Downtown Inc. (WDI) described programs and regulatory tools used in recent downtown redevelopment and neighborhood-revitalization efforts and answered questions from Rocky Mount council members at a city retreat.

Chad (City of Wilmington representative) introduced a delegation that included Tom Moten, Wilmington’s deputy city manager; Linda Painter, planning and development services director; Rachel Schuler, director of housing and neighborhood services; and Christina Haley, president and CEO of Wilmington Downtown Inc. The delegation framed its remarks as practical examples Rocky Mount could adapt.

Linda Painter described Wilmington’s planning framework and implementation tools, saying the city adopted a comprehensive plan in 2016 and later rewrote its land-development code in 2021. Painter said the 2021 code rewrite removed burdensome requirements on accessory dwelling units and reduced the number of uses requiring special-use permits, expanded tree-protection standards and enabled “missing middle” housing in more districts. She highlighted a small-area initiative that rezoned more than 600 parcels to an urban commercial mixed-use district and pointed to a private redevelopment called the Cargo District, where staff worked with a developer to allow repurposed shipping containers and says the appraised value of that site rose from about $65,000 (2016) to nearly $2,000,000 (2025).

Rachel Schuler summarized Wilmington’s housing and neighborhood programs. She said the city created a housing-and-neighborhood-services department and pursues a mix of interventions across supply, stability and subsidy. Schuler noted the city layers local funds, federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME program dollars, and other financing to support projects; she cited Avenue Flats as an example: a 184-unit tax-credit project with a reported total cost near $59 million that included roughly $4 million from the city, additional county funding and private investment. Schuler described in-house rehabilitation programs, down-payment assistance and eviction-prevention efforts and said code enforcement is both complaint-driven and patrol-based. She said the city has used owner-occupied rehab partnerships, including working with Habitat for Humanity as a general contractor on targeted projects.

Christina Haley described WDI’s role as a nonprofit economic-development organization for Wilmington’s central business district. She said WDI operates a façade-improvement grant program (50% match, maximum $2,500 per project in recent fiscal years), a revolving microloan program held with Civic Federal Credit Union (loans up to $20,000; the fund was described as “a little over a half million dollars”), marketing supported by a parking-fund allocation, and a Municipal Services District (MSD) that levies roughly $0.0647 per $100 in property valuation to pay for cleaning, graffiti removal, hospitality ambassadors and other services. Haley said WDI’s street-outreach social worker made over 500 contacts with unhoused individuals in the most recent fiscal year and that the outreach worker typically helps “at least one, maybe two” people a month obtain housing or shelter resources.

Council members asked detailed questions about several programs. A Rocky Mount councilmember asked whether Wilmington’s street outreach resulted in housing placements; Haley and staff said the outreach has placed individuals in housing or shelter at least monthly but acknowledged some people decline services. Another councilmember asked about Wilmington’s microloan operations and whether the food-truck concept called “Chow Town” uses rotating vendors; Haley said the program is active and the site under construction but did not detail the vendor-rotation mechanism during the retreat.

Wilmington staff emphasized practical implementation: code changes to remove regulatory “poison pills,” proactive rezoning of corridors, tree protections tied to permits and a collaborative enforcement approach for demolition-by-neglect that prioritizes repair and owner compliance before demolition. They described the municipal-services approach as supporting both public safety and business recruitment by keeping downtown streets clean and safe, and said targeted programs — façade grants, low-cost financing, and a holiday lighting initiative — helped increase visitation and private investment.

No formal policy or funding decisions were made by Rocky Mount leaders at the retreat. Wilmington officials offered to share further information and contacts for the programs they discussed.","Officials from Wilmington presented zoning, housing and downtown-management practices — including a land-development code rewrite, ADU and missing-middle zoning, tree protections, demolition-by-neglect enforcement, a municipal services district, facade grants and a microloan program — as models Rocky Mount could consider.","actionData","errors"]

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Rocky Mount staff outline Imagine Rocky Mount 2050 process, timeline and draft vision

Wilmington delegation shares downtown-revitalization tools and programs with Rocky Mount retreat