Lake Lure Leaders Advance Recovery Projects, Infrastructure Grants at December meeting

Lake Lure leaders pushed forward a wide slate of Hurricane Helene-related recovery work, infrastructure upgrades, and major engineering agreements on Dec. 9 during a 30-minute meeting that highlighted both accelerating progress and ongoing delays tied to state and federal permitting.

Town Manager Olivia Stewman delivered an update on storm-recovery construction. The long-awaited boardwalk and marina project remains on schedule for completion in "mid-July," though full installation depends on lake levels being restored. “We’re still on track to complete it around mid-July,” Stewman said. “The full installation can’t be completed until the lake is at full pond.”

Several major repairs are nearing completion. The West End Sewer Project has finished paving and seeding, restoring full service to all pre-storm customers. The Proctor Road stabilization project is also complete, though additional culvert work will not begin until FEMA funding is released. “As soon as we receive funding, we’ll have a plan,” Stewman said.

At the marina, engineers are finalizing designs for new docks and a fuel-pump slip system, which the town expects to have ready when lake levels return in May. The Boys Camp Road permanent bridge rebuild is advancing as well, with a final design expected by late January or early February and construction targeted for completion in spring 2026. Stewman said the town is pushing contractors “to exceed that.”

Shoreline recovery remains among the most complex post-Helene tasks. A meeting with state officials will clarify responsibilities and timelines for removing remaining debris. At Morse Park, only the playground and gazebo are currently open; a stormwater engineering plan will determine how and when the town can remove sediment left by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ashbritt, and subcontractors at the direction of FEMA. “Once that’s received, we’ll remove the sediment and grade as necessary,” Stewman said.

Council members also voiced frustration with the pace of state dam safety reviews and permitting. One official remarked, “When the legislature calls these guys, they tend to get going real quick,” underscoring concerns about bureaucratic slowdowns affecting emergency spillway work.

The board unanimously approved several major infrastructure items, including:

• Acceptance of the Sewer Asset Inventory and Assessment, a GIS mapping and system-evaluation project funded through a state American Rescue Plan allocation.

• An amendment expanding the Water AIA to incorporate additional geodatabase and web-mapping tools.

• A $50,000 increase to a LaBella engineering task order after storm-related design requirements exceeded previous projections. “We have exceeded the current budget by about $13,000… I do anticipate that we will need additional services,” Stewman said.

• A $1 million state dredging grant for 2025–26, requiring a 25% local match from the town’s general fund.

• A dredging grant agreement authorizing the use of the state funds.

Sediment removal will remain limited until the town receives a new USACE permit. “We can remove anything up to a half-acre… which I think will be fine for what we need to do this year,” Stewman said.

"Corps permits are necessary for any work, including construction and dredging, in the Nation's navigable waters," according to the USACE website.

In its final major action, the board approved applying for a state dam-safety grant of up to $736,287 for spillway rehabilitation. Communications Director Laura Krejci said the project qualifies even though work is already underway. “We’re very hopeful they would consider the work that’s going on right now,” she said.

The meeting ended with brief public comments, including early plans for a larger holiday festival and boat parade in 2025, before the board adjourned unanimously.

Read the agenda packet for more details here.