MAYOR'S
COMMENTS
by
Jim Proctor
Our town’s birthday
celebration is nearly here. The
75th anniversary committee has been busy. Memorial Park is looking
much better. I am still looking
for business and individual sponsors for the upcoming events. What follows is
a schedule for sponsorships and patrons:
Gold
Sponsor - $1500.00 - Receive eight engraved bricks at Memorial Park and
four tickets to the Diamond Jubilee Centennial Ball.
Corporate Logo to be placed on printed advertising and articles in the
town newsletter. Listed as Gold
Sponsor in the Diamond Jubilee Centennial Ball program.
Silver
Sponsor - $1000.00 - Receive six engraved bricks at Memorial Park and four
tickets to the Diamond Jubilee Centennial Ball.
Listed as Silver Sponsor in the Diamond Jubilee Centennial Ball
program.
Bronze
Sponsor - $700.00 - Receive four engraved bricks at Memorial Park.
Listed as Bronze Sponsor in the Diamond Jubilee Centennial Ball
program.
Park
Patron - $300.00 - Receive one engraved brick at Memorial Park and one
tree with acknowledgment placard at tree site.
Patron
- $200.00 - Receive one engraved brick at Memorial Park.
Listed as Patron in the Diamond Jubilee Centennial Ball program.
TOWN
MANAGER’S REPORT
by
H.M. “Chuck” Place
Infrastructure
There has been a lot of talk around town hall recently about
“infrastructure” (facilities and services needed to sustain residential,
commercial and all other land use activities).
The zoning and planning board has been concerned that new development
may outstrip the towns ability to provide services, such as water and sewer;
and at their January meeting the council adopted new regulations regarding
provision of water infrastructure in new subdivisions.
Because of this interest, I thought it might be useful to discuss the
towns utility systems over the next three issues.
This month, I’m writing about the water system and I’ll cover
wastewater and hydro-electric in the next two issues.
Water
System
The town owns three wells with a combined capacity of 97,000 gallons
per day from which all water for the town system is drawn.
These include the Vess, Powers and Parmely wells.
We also own two ground level storage tanks, Pool Creek and Washburn,
with a total capacity of 100,000 gallons and about 11.5 miles of distribution
lines. The water is checked
daily and, because the wells produce very high quality water, treatment is
limited to mild chlorination to meet a federal mandate.
The town system is limited to that area west of Snug Harbor in the
vicinity of Memorial Highway and has 327 metered connections.
(A private company, Carolina Water System, serves Lake Lure Golf &
Beach Resort, Apple Valley and Shumont Estates under contract with the
Fairfield Mountains Property Owners Association.)
Problems with our system include lack of fire flows and hydrants, small
water mains, limited ability to expand, and the impending loss of the Parmely
well and Pool Creek reservoir due to court action.
We have applied for grants for 1.8 million dollars to maintain and
expand the system, however those applications have been denied three times in
the past four years. Our
neighbor, the Village of Chimney Rock, also applied for funding to improve and
expand their water system three times and was denied twice, but was successful
on their third attempt.
We are working with Chimney Rock to establish some form of partnership
for both water and sewer service and have pending a grant application to fund
a study of various partnership alternatives to determine the most
beneficial and cost effective way to proceed.
These alternatives will range from a simple interconnection to allow
one water system to sell water to the other, through the formation of an
independent water/sewer authority to take over the operation of utility
services for both municipalities. Our
hope is that through a mutual agreement, Lake Lure will be able to utilize the
excess capacity of the new Chimney Rock system to offset the loss of the well
and reservoir. We have also
applied for another grant in the amount of $400,000 to add several 6"
lines to improve pressure and provide fire flow, plus a new pump and main to
connect the Powers well to the Washburn reservoir as a temporary replacement
for the well and reservoir that will be lost.
In another action, the town recently entered into a co-venture with a
local developer to increase proposed water lines to provide fire service.
The pending development at the end of Seton Road required several new
4" water lines to service the lots in the development, but the town
wanted the area to have fire hydrants for fire protection and to help improve
our fire rating (which could affect fire insurance rates).
We also wanted the new line to “loop” back to the town main to help
with water pressure. We agreed to
pay the difference in cost between the 4" and 6" lines and the
extension of the line to complete the loop.
When complete, the subdivision will have new fire hydrants paid for by
the developer and we will have a greater capacity line and new hydrants along
Memorial Highway near the Post Office and the MountainBank Plaza at town
expense, all of which will end up being much less expensive than if the
projects were done individually.
Finally, on the recommendation of the zoning and planning board, the
town council just adopted amendments to the subdivision regulations to require
all new subdivisions to provide 6" water lines (up to now, no lines were
required). Larger subdivisions will also have to either connect to the
town system or create independent community water system- typically, a
community well, distribution lines and storage tanks, where needed.
In addition, all new subdivisions or extensions to existing
subdivisions must be connected to the town water distribution system where
access to the town system is available within one half mile of the new
development. These amendments
will hasten the day when all residents of the Town of Lake Lure will be served
by good quality, plentiful potable water and be protected by adequate water
for firefighting.
TOWN
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
by
Betty Hinson, Personnel Director
It is a pleasure to write about our employee of the month, Chuck Place.
Chuck has been with the Town of Lake Lure since February 2, 1998. Chuck came
to Lake Lure following his retirement from the City of Venice, Florida where
he was employed as Director of Zoning & Planning. Prior to his employment
with the City of Venice he was employed with the City of Sarasota, and the
County of Sarasota, Florida.
In 1995 Chuck received the George W. Simmons award for his outstanding
contribution to the profession of planning and zoning in the State of Florida
and in 1994 he received the Award of Excellence for his outstanding
contribution to the physical appearance of the Venice Main Street area, Venice
Main Street Inc.
Chuck began his employment with the Town of Lake Lure as zoning
administrator and in February, 1999, he accepted the position of town manager.
Under Chuck’s leadership as town manager the town has made great progress
and employees always feel that their input is important to him.
Chuck and his wife Lynn reside on Spicer Cove Rd. in Edneyville and
Lynn is employed with MountainBank in Hendersonville.
To Chuck, we say a very special “thank you” and hope that you will
be with us for many more years.
NEW
ARRIVAL
by
Betty Hinson, Personnel Director
Congratulations to Rick and Joy Tullis on the arrival of a new
daughter. Jenna Delaney arrived
on January 5, 2002. At 9 lbs and 20.5" in length and with her dad’s
experience as a training officer, she has all the makings of a fine cop!
Mother and daughter are doing great.
TOWN
COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
by
Town Clerk Mary Flack, MMC, CTC
REGULAR
MEETING: The regular town council meeting was held on Monday, January 14,
2002, 6:00 p.m., at the Lake Lure Municipal Center.
Under the “consent agenda,” Council:
*
approved the minutes of December 11, 2001 (regular meeting & closed
session meeting);
*
adopted Resolution No. 02-01-14A (Municipal Agreement between the Town of Lake
Lure and the North Carolina Department of Transportation regarding
reinspection of bridges on the Municipal Street System F A Project BRZ-NBIS
(10); and
*
declared two police cars as surplus to the needs of the town.
In other activities, Town Council:
*
held a public hearing and adopted Ordinance No. 02-01-14 amending Chapter 91
(Subdivision Regulations) of the Code of Ordinances for the Town of
Lake Lure, establishing a definition for independent community water
systems, and providing for water systems in new subdivisions; the six-month
moratorium on review and approval of new subdivisions was rescinded;
*
approved budget amendments submitted by the finance officer regarding
governing body and non-governmental expenses;
*
adopted Resolution No. 02-01-14, Water System Plan for the Town of Lake Lure;
*
awarded a bid to Charles Ellis to purchase surplus town property in the amount
of $1,500;
*
heard a request from Pat Hyatt for after-the-fact approval to fill a portion
of the lake and to waive fines assessed by the town. The request was denied and Ms. Hyatt was directed to restore
the shoreline to its original location and comply with the town’s Lake
Structures Regulations regarding her seawall and boathouse;
*
appointed John Thompson to serve on the Lake Lure Golf Course Advisory
Committee;
*
denied a request “at this time” to accept the dedication of two streets in
Shumont Estates Phase IV as town roads;
*
approved the rate schedule for 2002 submitted by Lake Lure Tours, Inc.,
regarding town beach and marina operations;
*
adopted Resolution No. 02-01-14C supporting the creation of a Western North
Carolina Local Government Caucus to address the inequities in the distribution
of State and Federal appropriations; and
*
appointed Commissioner Lea Hullender to serve as liaison to the Zoning and
Planning Board.
COMMUNITY
POLICING NEWS
by
Chief Mike Bustle
Investigators examining the scene of a house fire have discovered the
presence of accelerants and are asking the public for information which may
help in the investigation. The fire began on Sunday, January 13, at
approximately 7:00 p.m., the residence of Jerry and Susan Eury, at 205
Lakeview Circle.
On Monday, January 14, an accelerants detection canine was utilized by
the investigating officers to examine the scene and several samples were
identified and collected for analysis. Meanwhile,
a task force consisting of the Lake Lure Police Department, the Lake Lure Fire
Coordinator, the Rutherford County Fire Marshal, and the North Carolina State
Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the blaze.
Investigators are now seeking to talk to anyone
who may have been in the area between 2:30 p.m. and
7:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 13, and might have seen anything or anyone
suspicious. Anyone with
information or tips can telephone the police department at 625-4911, town fire
coordinator Ron Morgan at 625-9333, county fire marshal Roger Hollifield at
287-6075, or the State Bureau of Investigation at 919-662-4500.
Congratulations to Sgt. Rick Tullis and wife Joy in the birth of their
daughter, Jenna Delaney Tullis, the newest addition to the department force in
Lake Lure!
UPPER
BROAD RIVER WATERSHED PROTECTION PROGRAM
by
Pamela Pyles, Erosion Control Specialist
Free
Riparian Kits Available!
The Upper Broad River Watershed Protection Program (UBRWP) is a group
of local citizens including professional assistance affiliated with Mountain
Valleys Resource Conservation and Development, USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Town of Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Village, Environmental
Quality Institute, and residents of Hickory Nut Gorge. This partnership is
developed through watershed meetings that include guest presentations, water
quality reports, and progress reports on UBRWP Programs.
Our programs are voluntary participation and non-regulatory.
UBRWP received North Carolina State funding from Clean Water Management
Trust Fund and from the Environmental Protection Agency Section 319 grant to
restore and maintain water quality within the upper broad river watershed.
The upper Broad River watershed is one of the six sub-basins within the
Broad River basin. Our watershed encompasses 94 square miles and reaches east to
the Lake Lure dam and the Youngs Mountain Range in Rutherford County, extends
north to the continental divide near the city of Black Mountain, reaches west
to the edge of Henderson County at Little Pisgah Mountain, goes south nearly
to Edneyville in Henderson County, and consists of a small portion of McDowell
County.
Our vision statement is: Protecting Soil and Water Resources through
Watershed Education and Program Participation.
We accomplish these goals by providing information, technical support,
and financial reimbursements. Our
programs range from financial assistance in implementing erosion control
measures on existing eroding sites, low interest loans for new construction,
stream bank restoration that
include free riparian tree kits, and riparian conservation easements.
Participants in the upper Broad River cost share program are
provided with on-site technical assistance that include a detailed written
conservation plan outlining erosion control measures to stabilize existing
eroding sites. We work with grading and hydroseeding contractors installing
erosion control measures for property owners.
Cost Share participants receive financial reimbursement between 50% and
100% of actual costs.
We provide low interest loans up to 50% of erosion control costs at new
construction sites before erosion control measures are implemented.
Our stream bank restoration program efforts assist property owners in
repairing eroding stream banks and preventing further erosion with the
reestablishment of riparian forest buffers.
We provide riparian conservation easements (RCE) to property owners
wishing to permanently protect riparian stream bank property.
Property owners participating in an RCE maintain property ownership and
may donate or sell their development rights.
Riparian buffers improve water quality by maintaining stable stream
banks, providing habitat for wildlife and aquatic life.
We are taking orders for riparian tree kits that will be available for
pick up on February 22nd or 23rd between the hours of
10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Town of Lake Lure Municipal Center.
Each kit will include 40 one-year-old bare root seedlings to plant an
area 35 feet wide by 100 feet long adjacent to streams.
Tree species include River Birch, Water Oak, Willow Oak, Sugarberry,
Blackgum, Green Ash, Persimmon, and Sycamore.
Please call to reserve your tree
kits. Don’t miss the
opportunity to plant trees on stream banks.
The benefits of planting trees along stream banks, creek banks, and the
lakeshore are maintaining stable banks to prevent erosion, slowing down
floodwaters for down stream properties, improving air quality, water quality,
wildlife and aquatic habitat.
Please call Pamela Pyles at the Town of Lake Lure for information on
our programs or to reserve your tree kit at (828) 625-9983, ext. 123.
You may visit us on the web at: www.rfci.net//ubrwp
or E-mail us at: ubrwp@rfci.net.
Come participate in our next watershed protection meeting on February 6th
at 9:00 a.m. at the Town of Lake Lure Municipal Center and meet other
conservation minded folks. We
welcome your suggestions, comments, and participation.
YEAR
2002 BOAT PERMIT UPDATE
by
Anita Taylor, Customer Services
Supervisor/Deputy
Town Clerk
The town is continuing to explore revisions to the lake regulations as
recommended by the lake advisory committee that would affect boat permits.
Because this work is still under consideration, we have not printed the
2002 boat permits and Council has extended the 2001 permits until further
notice. Therefore, if you
purchased a permit for 2001, that
permit is valid until the new permits arrive.
We will continue to keep you updated through the newsletter and local
newspaper.
WATER/SEWER
REMINDER
by
Anita Taylor, Customer Services Supervisor/Deputy Town Clerk
Water and sewer bills for the months of November and December, 2001,
are due February 11, 2002. If
payment is not received on that date, a $25.00 penalty will accrue.
The town honors the postmark on the envelope; therefore, a penalty will
not be applied if the envelope is postmarked on the due date.
The town no longer places a utility account into a renter’s name.
Therefore, bills for water and sewer shall be addressed to and shall be
payable by property owners, regardless of tenancy.
ALSO, if you have a new construction and do not receive a bill possibly
because the contractor has failed to notify the town of completion and final
hook up onto the sewer system, please contact the town immediately in order to
prevent any penalties.
GOLF
COURSE NEWS
by
Chris Shute, Golf Course Manager
We continue to bring you updates on our improving income here at
the golf course. In December our
income was $6,000 ahead of the previous December.
We are currently $41,000 ahead of the previous fiscal year.
We hope to continue to bring you news of improvement.
We would like to take this chance to ask for the help of long time
residents of Lake Lure. We are trying to find any information, old photos,
memorabilia, blueprints, and things of this nature on the golf course.
There is a chance that our course could be showcased in a book of
Donald Ross designed courses and these things would be a great addition to the
story of the history of our course. This
would be a wonderful advertising opportunity for our course that would reach
thousands of Donald Ross fans. Anything
that anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.
DIAMOND
JUBILEE EVENTS AND SCHEDULES
by
Bill Bush, Chairman
As was promised in the last Newsletter, the Diamond Jubilee Committee
has determined the dates and locations for many of the events planned for this
year. The committee is comprised
of representatives of Chimney Rock Park (celebrating 100 years of ownership by
the Morse family) and the Town of Lake Lure (celebrating its 75th
year since incorporation), and the events include activities sponsored by both
organizations.
A
PHOTO EXHIBIT, “CHIMNEY ROCK PARK – THEN AND NOW” will be on display
in the foyer at Pack Place in Asheville from February 15-28.
This exhibit will offer a taste of what is to come throughout the
Park’s centennial year. No admission charged.
AN
EXHIBIT OF PHOTOGRAPHS, POSTCARDS AND MEMORABILIA will be showcased in an
exhibit sponsored by the Park at the Asheville Mall from March 9 through
April. Photographs, postcards,
old uniforms, etc. will give viewers a glimpse of what life was like at the
Park and in the area over the last century under Morse family stewardship.
MYSTERY NIGHT: A
Mystery Night will be held at the Lake Lure Inn during the weekend of March
15/16. Guests who wish to
participate in this event will be offered dinner, overnight accommodations and
breakfast for a fixed price. Call
the Inn (625-2525) for reservations and costs.
PARADE OF HOMES: A group of homes in Lake Lure will be open to in
April. Check with the Town Hall
(625-9983, Ext. 0) or in the March newsletter for the date and location of the
homes that will be included in the parade.
There will be a small admission charge.
PHOTOGRAPHY
PRESENTATION: Chimney Rock Park will sponsor a multi-media photography
presentation at the Bo Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Coummunity Center in
Hendersonville on Thursday evening, April 25.
The public is invited to attend. Watch for specific details in later
editions of this newsletter.
ISOTHERMAL
SINGERS: The Isothermal Singers will present a concert at the gazebo on
Morse Point; this will occur on either May 5 or May 12.
DANCE
RECITAL: Miss Pat’s School of Dance from Hendersonville will
present a recital on May 18 from 11 am to 1 pm. on Morse Point. We also plan to have an exhibit by local artists and local
storytellers as a part of this day’s events.
MOUNTAIN
MUSIC: A series of evening concerts are planned for June 8, 15, and 22 and
will be held in Chimney Rock Park. Grammy award winner, David Holt, is one of
the headliners. Pet Dairy will sponsor one of the concerts.
STREET
DANCES: Many of you will
remember the highly successful street dances that use to be held downtown
adjacent to the Community Center. Back
by popular demand and emceed, again, by Jack Biggerstaff, will be three
dances, planned for the evenings of June 17, July 15, and August 19.
Local service clubs will provide refreshments, and the several
volunteer fire departments will be responsible for traffic control and for the
sale of tickets.
COSTUME
BALL: As a part of our annual Halloween festivities, we plan to
hold a Costume Ball at the Lake Lure Inn on October 26. More details will be available as this date approaches.
MAKING
HISTORY FOR THE FUTURE: On the afternoon of November 9, guests to Chimney
Rock Park will take part in the planting of memorial trees, hear a review of
the past and a promise of more to come in the future. As a culminating
activity, the Morse family will bury a Time Capsule containing memorabilia
from the past 100 years in celebration of our local anniversaries.
If you have anything you consider appropriate for this event, please
call Mary Jaeger-Gale at the Park at 625-9611 or e-mail maryjg@chimneyrockpark.com.
More details to come.
THE
DIAMOND JUBILEE CENTENNIAL BALL: Last,
but certainly not least, are our plans for a grand finale to the year’s
events; a ball to be held on November 9 in the Convention Center located in
the Arcade Building. Music for dancing, “heavy” hors-d’oeuvres, and a cash
bar will contribute to the festivities. Dress
will be formal and reservations will be limited to 200 guests, so it is
important for you to make your plans early.
We are also in the final stages of preparing a logo celebrating the
park’s and the town’s anniversaries.
You will see the logos on the town’s stationary throughout the year,
and banners containing the logo of each location will hang throughout the
village and town.
We are planning to provide incentives to residents and visitors to
contribute to the plantings and the Remembrance Walk out on the point; details
about these can be found in the Mayor’s Column in this newsletter.
Examples of the bricks are being engraved to be available in various
locations throughout the town (e.g., banks, visitors center, inns and motels)
for you to see how the “final” product will appear.
And you are all invited to visit the point at your convenience.
Many of the plantings, although in the dormant stage have been
completed, particularly those from the front gate to the picnic area,
and the future beauty of the area can be appreciated at this time.
As you can see, this should be a unique year for residents and visitors
alike. As more events are
identified (e.g., a tournament at the town’s golf course) and additional
information about the ones above become available, we will provide it through
advertising and subsequent articles in this newsletter.
We
suggest that you remove this page from your Newsletter and keep it for future
reference.
RESIDENT
SEEKS ASSISTANCE FROM THE KENNEDY FOUNDATION FOR DAY CARE VENTURE
by
Monica Stofer, Newsletter Editor
Area resident, Alpina J. Hamilton
would like to open an “in home” day care facility for the
surrounding areas. Ms. Hamilton has contacted the John Kennedy Foundation for
their help and support. She is also requesting comments and suggestions in
writing from our community in regards to this matter. She can be contacted by
writing to her at 2080 Freeman Town Road, Lake Lure, NC 28746. Any suggestions
or ideas on this cause would be helpful and greatly appreciated by Mrs.
Hamilton.
NEWS
AROUND LAKE LURE
Lake Lure Newcomers invite those who are new residents in Lake Lure
(24 months or less) to join them in various activities which include: potluck,
gourmet, out’n about, theater, bridge/poker, book club, and hiking.
Anyone interested in becoming a member, call Fred or Jeanine Noble at
828-625-8706.
PUBLIC
NOTICE
If anyone is interested in serving on the golf course committee, we
have a vacancy. Applications
are available in the town hall, for those who are interested.
PUBLIC
NOTICE
The town council has mandated delayed harvest (catch and release)
for all fishing within Lake Lure from December 1, 2001, through March 1, 2001.
This means that no fish may be kept during these three months.
Individuals fishing must use single hook artificial lures only, and all
hooks must be barbless. No
fishing with live bait, natural, or prepared bait
will be permitted during this
period. This will help to ensure
that fish will be released nearly unharmed.
(Note:
violators will, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor as provided in G.S.
Section 14-4).
For
further information, contact town hall at 828-625-9983.
Ordinance
01-11-13D,
Adopted
November 13, 2001
Notice
;For comments about the operations of the Lake Lure Tours, call
828-625-0077.
Note:
The deadline for newsletter articles to be received at Town Hall for the March
issue is February 20, 2001.
