Residents urge Black Mountain to restore mowing at Veterans Park disc golf course

David Galloway, a member of the town recreation commission, told the Town of Black Mountain council during public comment that the Veterans Park disc golf course has been hardly maintained: "This year, as far as I know, it's been mowed once. Last year, 3 times. The previous year, also 3 times. So 7 times in 3 years is embarrassing and unacceptable." He said tall grass, briars and nettles on the back nine make play impossible and that the front nine sustained storm damage.

Resident Jen Galloway asked the council to "give Public Works the permission to maintain this beautiful space again," noting the 2023 town master plan lists disc golf as a well-utilized recreational resource and urging officials to consult users before changing its use. Becky Wenger, another resident, echoed calls for mowing and also requested a "left turn only" sign on Montreat Road at State Street for safety.

Local business owner Sean Pope said restoring simple mowing on the back nine would be low-cost and argued it supports local commerce: "maintaining... directly affects the tourism and activity in Black Mountain for all businesses," citing tournaments and increased visitor spending as benefits.

Mayor (Speaker 1) and staff confirmed follow-up: the mayor noted a past effort to mark hazards and a council member (Speaker 5) said they have a scheduled meeting with David Galloway and will provide an update once a plan is in place. No formal vote or budget commitment was made; the council committed to investigate and report back to the public.

Next steps: staff will meet with citizen representatives as referenced during the meeting and return with a plan and timeline for maintenance or proposed changes to Veterans Park. The council did not adopt any immediate policy or capital allocation during the meeting.