Like the giant peach-shaped water tower on I-85 in Gaffney, S.C., and the Sombrero Tower that looms over I-95 in South Carolina, the Carolina Lake would draw tourists to a town known for, well, not much.

In a town so small it has only one fast-food chain outlet (a Subway), Four Oaks leaders are dreaming big after securing a coveted economic catalyst: a revamped interchange on I-95.

Since 1977, residents and town officials have begged for a new interchange to unite a split intersection with two sets of ramps a half-mile apart. State transportation officials were concerned that confused drivers would head the wrong way on I-95.

The new diamond-shaped exit, which cost more than $5 million in state and federal money, replaces one at Keen Road, while a former exit at Main Street has been bulldozed. The town also got a new bridge at Keen Road, named for former Mayor Jack Austin Sr., who lobbied for two decades to get the new interchange before he died in 2003.

Now, after years of planning for the interchange, town leaders say they have a one-time chance to transform the town -- and make sure development at the exit doesn't clash with their vision for a new Mayberry.

"I'm fine if Hardee's wants to come here," said Dan Lee, a local artist who came up with the Carolina Lake idea. "That's great, but we don't want to lose the community feel. 'Burger Boulevard' just doesn't get it in terms of community cohesiveness."

Town officials hope to draw some of the 37,000 daily drivers on that stretch of I-95 to a tourist attraction similar to rustic farming villages in New England. In addition to the lake, early suggestions include a farmers market, an outdoor concert stage, a nature trail along Juniper Branch stream, gardens and a town commons.

While it all sounds expensive -- and it probably would total millions of dollars -- Parker said it is too soon to calculate costs. But he said he hopes the projects win grants and attract private donors.

Another option may be self-financing construction bonds, which North Carolina voters authorized this month by passing Amendment 1. It would be a major shift for the town to borrow money; Austin, the former mayor, scrupulously avoided debt, and the town paid cash for its $600,000 town hall three years ago.

On Dec. 8, the town is to hold a public meeting to debate the plans and add more ideas.

The new interchange also may kindle interest in about 1,000 undeveloped acres across I-95 from downtown. For years, rumors have circulated that the land might be used for a water park or theme park, but none has proved true.

In the meantime, the town board of commissioners has frozen development at the empty interchange until April.

Pam Mason, a hairstylist at Mane Street Salon, said she welcomes growth that preserves the town's rural culture.

"How many other towns can you work in and have people riding horses down the street?" said Mason, who moved to the area from southern New Jersey.

Parker -- accountant, barbecue joint owner, Republican operative, Johnston County economic development board chairman and Four Oaks evangelist -- admitted that he hopes to re-create the post-World War II village of his childhood.

"We're looking actually to be the opposite of the big box communities," Parker said. "We want them to stop here because they'll experience something they'll experience nowhere else."

On a recent afternoon, Parker conjured images of a bustling village with corn shuckings, quilting bees, hog killings and animal farms open to tourists. He remembered fondly his first baseball glove and his first bicycle, a red Western Flyer, both bought at Austin's Feed and Seed on Main.

"They can see things I experienced that my grandson can't experience," Parker said.

Today, many storefronts downtown are vacant, though several are being renovated. The would-be concert stage is an abandoned fertilizer store whose roof fell in long ago. But where there are rusty sheds, overgrown yards or a condemned building, Parker sees opportunity.

"Basically, we've got a blank sheet of paper," Parker said. "What scares me is if we don't change."

Staff writer Ellen Sung can be reached at 829-4565 or esung@newsobserver.com.

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