Cumberland County residents speak out about the county's good and bad qualities

Cumberland County residents share the good and bad qualities of their home county.
Cumberland County residents share the good and bad qualities of their home county.

The Fayetteville Observer conducted an online survey in July that asked residents to share their pros and cons of living in the area. The survey received more than 100 responses.

The most prominent positive comments addressed the area's sense of community, diversity and entertainment options. The main negative comments were high crime rates, homelessness and trash.

Below are some o comments received in the survey.

People pose for photos with a variety of Pride flags at the Fayetteville PrideFest on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at Festival Park.
People pose for photos with a variety of Pride flags at the Fayetteville PrideFest on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at Festival Park.

M. Henderson

Good: I like that it is quiet a lot of the time. We have some hidden gems here and there across the county. I moved here, like many of us, because of the military.

Bad: We need more inclusion for the LGBTQ+ population. I’d love to see more businesses that are run by LGBTQ+ people, for LGBTQ+ people. Our police force should all take crisis intervention training and cultural competency training yearly.  Also, more understanding from our police force for the homeless population. Infrastructure wise — many of our roads (especially in low-income areas) need to be repaved. The Market House needs to go — the general public has already voiced their opinion about that. Overall Cumberland County feels mediocre and not welcoming to many people.

Eddie Clark

Good: Scenic areas are very beautiful in this area of North Carolina, there are parks and recreational centers that have amazing features and amenities. Spring Lake itself has a very small town feeling and yet an international feeling when on Highway 210 due to Fort Bragg. But if you head to the post office you get the small town charm sense. There are many good people here willing to help you with a simple task such as helping you get groceries to your vehicle to just giving you a smile. There are many good parts to Cumberland County and due to Fort Bragg You get to meet such a diverse group of people from different parts of our wonderful country. Cape Fear River itself is very stunning and downtown Fayetteville is very welcoming. (Fayetteville State University) and Methodist College are great educational universities that offer wonderful programs for many people today.

 Bad: Traffic can be bad at times after 5 p.m., which I believe is due to the extra traffic coming from Fort Bragg.

Sue Smyth

Good: The people that are in the military are very kind and good-hearted people. The people that support and work with the military are patriotic, diverse and have good morals and values.

Bad: Do we look like we are proud of our city if there is trash? We have to do something about the trash everywhere. Don’t allow the homeless to camp wherever and pile up litter. They can go to a shelter or not camp in public spaces. Set up specific campsites for them where they can get help. The crime and speeding drivers. One of the things that can happen is to get Fort Bragg on board. If a soldier gets caught speeding or reckless driving, it gets reported. Make them go to driving schools on post or stay in barracks. Make litter pick-ups part of probation. Teenagers that are truant — put them on litter details. Open up dumpsites that accept furniture and mattresses with extended hours so people stop dumping them on highways. We need more sidewalks and bike lanes. Bus stops should be rain shelters and put at crosswalks so that people aren’t playing Frogger crossing highways.

Carolyn Batton

Good: Despite how things are here in Fayetteville, we do have good people here with good hearts. Good health care.

Bad: Our town needs better leadership for everyone here, not just select groups. Our town still needs a lot of clean-up in troubled areas like dive motels near the Coliseum. The City Council needs to work together for the whole city, not just certain areas. School districts need to get equal funding. One huge problem here is there is nothing to do for everyone. This has been proven that a town with nothing to do actually creates crime and unrest. But when you have a town that cares and invests in the town to create activities that all people can enjoy makes a happier town. Create nice beautiful town squares with trees and benches, fountains with small vintage shops and activities and entertainment. We have nothing here like that. We have many areas that would be great for something like that. With all the food truck business, we could have one of these areas where there are huge parking lots with nothing (in them) and put in a food truck restaurant square with some tables with umbrellas or picnic tables, with flowers and trees. Yes, we also need to beautify our town. Fayetteville needs to show it cares about all the townspeople (in a way) that the people can actually see and feel. Someplace we can be proud to call home. Fayetteville has a reputation online as the last place to visit and live. Why, because there is nothing to do here. Please separate Fayetteville from Fort Bragg. We have to lose the military town persona. Yes, with some, we are still known as Fayettenam. Not good. All these things need to be addressed by a new City Council (that) wants to greatly improve our town to improve our quality of life here in Fayetteville. Improve our town for everyone and this would make it a place people want to live and visit. Gatlinburg (Tennessee) has come a long way. They have done an awesome job. The outdoor experience of beauty they enhanced is remarkable. So Fayetteville, take notes. I don't like hearing Fayetteville is the last place to want to go to or live. Think about that planning board. Not good.

Jeaninne Reyes

Good: Hope Mills is a growing small town, we live in a nice community on the outskirts. It is peaceful and the neighbors look out for each other. We have plenty of shops and don’t need to travel far for everything we need. Hope Mills Lake has been restored and is beautiful and attracts families with children. Since I have lived here, many new businesses opened and more are on the way. We are close to highways to get us from north to south. The crime rate is low and we have good schools. We love living here!

Bad: As Hope Mills grows, roads will have to be widened. Shopping is OK but we would love to see grocery stores that have better quality items such as Publix’s or Harris Teeter, not just fast food restaurants that are popping up all over the place.

Harris Teeter grocery store at 2800 Raeford Road on Thursday, July 22, 2022.
Harris Teeter grocery store at 2800 Raeford Road on Thursday, July 22, 2022.

Brenda Hodson

Good: We like the more temperate weather and location.

What we really like is the respect people have for each other. Individuals are friendly and helpful. The politics here is more balanced between Democratic and Republicans. There is more diversity here too.

We like that there is less litter alongside the roads. This is another sign of a caring community.

The county offers a variety of activities including theater, military, nature, etc.

We are still exploring, but so far it has been very nice.

Bad: The only area that could use improvement is transportation. Some roads near Hope Mills need to be widened.

Staff writer Akira Kyles can be reached at akyles@gannett.com.


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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: The good and bad of Cumberland County