Moore County Davis Community Center, Flock cameras draw public comments

Moore County Commissioners faced public pressure Sept. 15 over the future of the Davis Community Center and Flock license plate cameras, while approving zoning changes and rejecting proposed school uses in several rural zoning districts.

Yesterday, Sept. 14, the Moore County School Board agreed to sign over the deed for the historic Davis School, known as the Davis Community Center, for $10 to the county for the public sale of the property. The seven acres and the building had restrictions declaring that its use must benefit citizens and children. The board removed those restrictions.

Superintendent Jennifer Purvis said the Davis School’s limited acreage does not meet state requirements for building a school and selling the property would not adequately benefit the district, considering the manpower needed to sell the property. It was deeded to the school district in 1978. There was no discussion of listing the property with a realtor.

North Carolina General Statute 153A-163 reads that the county cannot sell property for less than its purchase price. The county paid $10 to the school board for the Davis Center.

During commissioner comments, Commissioner Tom Adams said the commissioners’ intent had always been to keep the Davis Center for community use. He said several people were now interested.

Chairman Nick Picerno asked the board attorney to confirm that they could conduct the bidding process for the Davis Center and could also deny bids and award the sale to another, and the attorney confirmed the statement.

County Manager Wayne Vest said there was a meeting on Friday to discuss the Davis Center.

Commissioners moved public comments to the beginning of the meeting due to the number of registered speakers.

Amanda Toyota said ALPR information was misused and cited several cases, including one in Russia. She said the system was misused because it was easy and did not require passwords. She said military families in Moore County were at risk. She requested termination of the Flock camera system.

Ellis Domenech of DeFlock Moore County on Facebook used satire to explain the proclamation recognizing Constitution Week and freedom, while Flock cameras tracked where millions of citizens traveled each day. He said he did not support the destruction of cameras.

John Miziaszek said Flock cameras may be a problem but by the end of the decade we may all be dead from AI. He shared that the Carthage Elementary School (CES) replacement on the school’s site should not go forward but should revert to the original plan to build on Vass Carthage Road. He said that last week, the Town of Carthage denied a 185-housing development proposal in Needmore because it would cause overcrowding at CES.

Dr. Gwendolyn Davis said the Davis Community Center should be supported and not sold at public auction.

Meryl Smith of Robbins said since 1939, he owned the property connected to the Davis Community Center and he wanted to

Matt Wolf said it was his third time speaking and repeated that the burden of public duty was a heavy weight and that citizens had shared their individual concerns on Flock cameras. He said the system posed a significant security risk to Tier I and II military residents, and there was no guarantee the system could not be hacked. He pointed out that other communities had banned public surveillance. He asked the commissioners to explain why it was good.

Kelsey Graham of Robbins said he worked over 20 years at the school system and said he knew what it took to help students reach their goals. He said programs outside of high school were needed in Robbins at the Davis Community Center.

Cedric Williams said he helped with the ongoing maintenance of the Davis Community Center through Harvest Ministries and was willing to continue.

Pamela Thompson of Robbins said she wanted to keep the Davis Community Center for public use. She said the building honored historical identity. She said the sale of the property was not needed.

Nelson Brower of Robbins said he attended Davis School for eight years and that the property could serve South Moore students. He said he had intent to support the center  with a monthly contribution.

Harry Brower said the Davis School was given to the county school board, and it was a landmark, and he knew as a community center that it could serve anyone in Moore County.

Philip Davis, who represents the Davis Community Center, asked commissioners to transfer ownership with a two-year stewardship clause. He said in 2025, operating costs for the county were $900 per month (in taxpayer funds) and that his group expects an income of $1,000 from area churches, so the county would not have any expenses. He said the county owed the citizens a transfer of the building with fully functional appliances because that is how the county was deeded the property.

Lynne said the Flock cameras in New Jersey caught her speeding, but no one was made safer from her ticket fine. She said she had a hunch the officers would be watching them 24/7.

Directly following public comments, Picerno said Matt Wolf was correct that the county had done a terrible job of communicating and did not like social media, Smart TVs or Flock cameras. He said the board did not make a decision to approve Flock, but approved the contract for the sheriff because they trusted him. The county has 10 cameras and “takes a snapshot” of license plates. He suggested having a meeting with the sheriff on Flock cameras to discover if the cameras were an invasion of privacy. “Does Flock override our flocks to have a sense of security they were being watched?…Maybe I do misunderstand, but I do trust my sheriff.” He said he wanted a closed meeting.

Picerno said he wanted what was best for the Davis Center. He said he was excited. He said the board attorney said they must sell the property as they already voted to do, but they do not have to accept the bids. “If it was up to us, we’d give it to you right now,” Picerno told Philip Davis.

Without explanation, the board denied adding elementary, middle and high schools uses to be permitted by right in RA-20, RA-40, and RE as proposed to the Uniform Development Ordinance (UDO) in Chapter Six.

Commissioners approved adding religious uses to be permitted by right in RA-20, RA-40, RE as proposed, but also adding PC, and I zoning districts as permitted by right.

Commissioners approved rezoning for four adjacent properties in Vass off U.S. Highway 1. The surrounding area is zoned B2, B2-CZ, RA20, and RE. The new zoning of B2 is compatible with the surrounding land use classification.

Each of the following properties were rezoned to B2.

The 5.12 acres at 5152 U.S. Highway 1 in Vass, across from the Small Animal Hospital, was zoned as mixed-use and R&M Commercial Real Estate, LLC operated by Ronald and Michelle Jackson.

Clark Campbell of Terrapin Holdings, LLC had requested three acres at 5200 U.S. Highway 1 in Vass be rezoned from highway commercial to highway commercial B2.

Daby Benjaminé Carreras of New York owns Drain the Swamp LLC and is operated by Ron Jackson in Moore County. They had requested .91 acres at 5174 U.S. Highway 1 in Vass be rezoned from mixed-use to B2.

The next meeting is Sept. 21 at 6 p.m.

Read Moore County votes to seek Davis Center repair bids despite $500k grant redirection.

Sept. 15, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

Subscribe to Sandhills News and support this conservative journalism with advertising.

Submit news tips, events and interview requests to editor@sandhills.news.

Sandhills News is plain-English local government reporting that explains how decisions affect your land, taxes, schools and rights.