Swain County library reports Dec. 16 retaining-wall collapse; contractor accepts responsibility

Ellen Snodgrass provided the Swain County Board of Commissioners with an update on construction at the county library, reporting that a retaining wall collapsed during excavation on Dec. 16 and that no one was injured. She described the original wall as composed of concrete blocks and bags of sacrete without proper rebar and said the excavation encountered poor subsoil and deeper footings required by frost code.

Snodgrass said the contractor, architect and a soils engineer met with county staff immediately after the incident and that the contractor acknowledged financial culpability for the failure. She said the architect produced revised drawings free of charge and the plan is to regrade and shore the site, using the new addition’s exterior wall as the retaining structure. She estimated the remedial work will take about four weeks and said crews discovered an unrecorded sewer line while excavating.

The library is continuing normal operations: children’s programs, public computers and printing remain available, though the community room excavation is underway and parking is tighter during construction. On fundraising, Snodgrass said the library had raised about $50,000 from individuals and identified an outstanding grant application for $150,000; she reported an approximate fundraising/budget figure in the presentation materials.

Commissioners asked whether an upper wall would need removal; Snodgrass said no final decision had been made and an OAC meeting was scheduled to review options. The board did not take formal action on the construction work at the session; Snodgrass asked commissioners to attend the follow-up OAC meeting.