Montreat Minute for September 10, 2021

Mayor’s Summary of the September 9, 2021 Town Council Meeting

Greetings Montreaters,

I hope everyone has recovered from Tropical Storm Fred of three weeks ago. We had an unbelievable amount of rain and damage in such a short period of time. The Town is still making “Fred” repairs and will be for weeks to come.

The Council meeting brought just a handful of people attending, with others watching the live stream. If you would like to view the recording, CLICK HERE.

Here’s a summary of the meeting:

  • There were two Public Forum questions/comments, which included:

CLICK HERE to read the entire meeting summary


Call for Volunteers

The Planning & Zoning Commission is calling for volunteers to serve on the Town of Montreat Comprehensive Plan Update Steering Committee. The nine-member committee will be made up of representatives from the various Town entities and community members at-large. The Committee’s work will begin in January 2022 and conclude with the completed report in June 2022.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Committee, please complete an application form by CLICKING HERE or stop by the Town Hall to pick up a paper copy.


Town Still Dealing with Effects of Tropical Storm Fred

Tropical Storm Fred, which dumped 7-10” (depending on your location) of rain in one day, has created significant damage to Montreat infrastructure. A good portion of the rain came in the afternoon of August 17, creating flash floods all over town and swelling Flat Creek to levels unseen in decades. Mayor Helms, whose cottage borders Flat Creek, commented that he had never seen the water rise so quickly and peak at such a high level in the more than 50 years he and Mimi have had the cottage. As a result, roadbeds were damaged, asphalt torn apart, creekbeds eroded and more, not to mention homeowners’ damages.

Shortly after the storm, the Mayor declared a State of Emergency, which qualifies us for Federal funds to repair the damage. The worst damage was on Calvin Trail by the campground, where the roadbed was split apart, and the base of Greybeard Trail where recent work had been completed after Tropical Storm Alberto in 2018. Calvin Trail repairs will be complete in the next several weeks and we will begin repairs on Greybeard soon.

Fortunately, our skilled Public Works staff have been busy making repairs and they ask for your patience in any inconvenience you may encounter.


Updates and Reminders

  • The Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, September 23, from 4:00pm to 9:00pm in the Town Hall to consider a Special Use Permit application submitted by the Montreat Retreat Association. The meeting will be live-streamed. Login details to follow. Just a reminder that masks are required (and available) in the Town Hall.

  • The Montreat Tree Board will meet on Tuesday, September 28, at 9:30am in the Town Hall. The meeting will be live-streamed. Login details to follow. Just a reminder that masks are required (and available) in the Town Hall.

Questions?

Do you have Town-related questions you would like answered? If so, please send them to Angela Murphy at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!