HAMLET — The Hamlet City Council met and were updated on city projects and park improvements at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.

City Manager Jonathan Blanton talked about the recent cleanup efforts made at South Hamlet Park, W.D. James Park and Memorial Park.

“We have received the new playground equipment,” said Blanton. “They’ve all been refurbished and all look very nice as well as the basketball courts at South Hamlet. We’ve done a lot of work at those parks.”

He also mentioned the new entrance signs for Hamlet.

“The new entrance signs were installed over the last few weeks and we have two installed and are working to have two more installed,” said Blanton.

Blanton said solar lights and landscaping are planned to be added next to beautify the signs.

The next topic was about plans to clean up and add to the Hamlet City Lake.

“The past few weeks, we have been working quite diligently at the city lake,” said Blanton. “We moved forward with very necessary clean up efforts a few weeks ago… overgrowth and dead trees… (Richmond County) Forestry did a great job cleaning that up and we continue to move forward there.”

Blanton added his next steps to beautify the area would be to add picnic tables, large rocks along the banks, and a mural painted by an artist.

“Stewart Carmichael, of Scotland County, comes with great reviews and he has done a lot of local projects,” said Blanton. “His proposal for what he would do is a ‘mirror painting’. It’s a painting of the lake with a beautiful landscape.”

He said the painter would take two weeks to fill up the wall (behind the Hamlet Senior Center).

Other business

— The council voted to postpone a public hearing on a resolution to limit the parking of commercial vehicles in residential areas to the next meeting in September. Bayless said he would like to have more than four board members present when the hearing takes place. Two council members were absent.

— Blanton also announced there will be a Back to School Drive, Aug. 24, 12 to 2 p.m., at the South Hamlet Park. The Richmond County Sheriffs’ Department will work with the Hamlet police and local churches to cook. The event will include games for children and school supplies will be given away.

Jael Pembrick can be reached at 910-506-3169 or [email protected].

Blanton
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_Blanton-City-of-Hamlet-Photo.jpgBlanton

Jael Pembrick

Staff writer