Town of Lake Lure Marine Commission Regular Meeting Summary - Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Thank you to those who joined us for the Town of Lake Lure Marine Commission Regular Meeting on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. 

• The meeting was held at The Landings at 920 Buffalo Creek Road, Lake Lure, NC 28746. 

• The public was invited to attend the meeting. 

• The following is a summary of meeting for those who could not attend.  Note that these are not formal minutes which will be included in the following month's Town Council Meeting packet. 

• You may download additional information in the meeting packet.

I. Call to Order

Mayor Pritchett called the meeting to order and thanked all in attendings for joining the meeting.

II. Agenda Adoption

The meeting agenda was adopted as posted.

III. Public Comment

The public was invited to speak on any non-agenda and/or consent agenda topics. Comments should be limited to less than three minutes.

There were no public comments. 

III. Public Hearing

A. Resolution No. 25-09-12 Amending the Lake Use Regulations: 

Resolution No. 25-12-09 incorporates two recommended updates from the Lake Advisory Board:

• Addition of a Definition for “Backshore.” The regulations will now include a formal definition of backshore, describing it as the land surrounding the lake that is typically underwater at full pond (990.5 MSL) but becomes exposed when the lake level drops at least two feet below full pond.
• Expansion of Non-Motorized Boat Permit Requirements.
• While non-motorized boat permits were lifted in 2024 for private owners (except for commercial livery operations), the Lake Advisory Board recommends extending the commercial non-motorized (CN) permit requirement to non-motorized boats provided for use with vacation rental properties.
• Under this change, owners of vacation rentals must obtain a commercial permit for any non-motorized vessels made available to renters, as these uses fall under commercial activity.

i. Staff Report: Parks, Lake, and Recreation Director Dana Bradley provided an overview of the information above.  

ii. Public Hearing: There were no public comments. 

iii. Commission Deliberation: There was a brief discussion.

iv. Consider Adoption of No. 25-12-09 Amending the Lake Use Regulations: Town Council approved the amendments. 

V. Consent Agenda

A. Approval of the September 2025 Regular Marine Commission Meeting Minutes

B. Adoption of 2026 Marine Commission Meeting Schedule

The items in the consent agenda were approved.

VI. Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business. 

VII. Appeal Hearings

There were no appeals to hear. 

VIII. New Business

A. Lake Advisory Board Updates: 

• Commissioner DiOrio noted that the most significant item the Board has been reviewing was non-motorized boats permits. 
• It was noted that the Town should anticipate a couple of hundred permits for Short Term Rentals.
• A fee will be added for permits for non-motorized vessels used by Short Term Rentals.
• No increases in permit fees were added this year in the hope of increasing tourism. 
• This will be revisited until the following year in 2027.

B. Consider Continuation of the Non-conforming Cluster Mooring Belonging to the Lure Ridge Owners Association and located at PIN #1653330 Subject to the Permanent Variance Limitation of Maximum 4 (Four) Moorings

• Community Development Director Mike Williams advised that upon reviewing the permit application for reconstruction of the eight moorings located at 0 Memorial Highway, Rutherford County parcel #1653330, staff realized that the existing “cluster mooring” was non-conforming to the Town’s Lake Structure Ordinance due to location in a prohibited zoning district.
• Photographic evidence shows the same dock structure layout from 1/9/2009 up to the time of the Helene damage.
• Lake Structure Ordinance permits Cluster Moorings and Marinas only at upland properties zoned for resort or commercial use.
• Subject parcel is zoned Residential 4 Residential/Office district which allows limited business and professional offices in addition to residential uses.
• Variance granted for the two parcels that were later combined into the existing parcel stated that the maximum moorings could never exceed two per parcel or four if parcels were ever combined.
• Lure Ridge Owner’s Association acquired the parcels on 4/12/2018 and combined the parcels into the current parcel on 5/13/2019. New owners have presented that they purchased the property as a cluster mooring and used the same structures for up to 8 moorings since that time.
• This period exceeds the five year statutes of limitation for actions established by NCGS 1-51 and 1-49.
• Property owners have expressed willingness to cooperate with the Town to use the property in compliance with the Town’s determination.
• Staff recommends that Council approve the continuation of the non-conforming cluster mooring belonging to the Lure Ridge Owner’s Association and located at PIN #1653330 subject to the permanent variance limitation of maximum 4 (four) moorings.

Town Council approved the continuation of the non-conforming cluster mooring belonging to the Lure Ridge Owner’s Association. 

C. Consider Adoption of 2026 Lake Use Fee Schedule

• The Lake Advisory Board has recommended that no changes be made to the Lake Use Fee Schedule for 2026.
• The Board will be reviewing and making recommended changes for 2027.
• It was recommended that the naming configuration shift to "annual seasonal" for all categories. 
• Town Council approved the 2026 Lake Use Fee Schedule. 

IX. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned.