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Mills River parks group outlines FEMA-funded repairs, North Loop restoration and boat-launch limits
Summary
Vice Chair Laura Moore told the advisory group that FEMA and state reviews have affected timelines for baseball-field drainage, tennis-court repairs and a major North Loop river-restoration; bids for the North Loop were set to be released March 1 and the boat launch repair is limited by a town floodplain ordinance.
Vice Chair Laura Moore said the parks advisory group is close to moving forward on several FEMA-related repairs and a long-delayed North Loop river-restoration project, but timing and scope remain constrained by federal reviews, state processes and local land-use rules.
Moore told members the town has submitted a baseball-field drainage project to FEMA and expects approval for reimbursement once federal operations resume; she said work will be scheduled to minimize disruption to the baseball season, adding, “we are going to aim for that June, July to have our field shut down to minimize the impact on our baseball coach.”
The tennis courts were denied by FEMA initially, Moore said; the town appealed and the state recommended reconsideration but a 90-day response window has passed. To avoid waiting, staff applied for an Office of State Budget and Management grant to fund repairs so the project can proceed if FEMA does not reverse its decision. Moore said engineers have told the town that full repair will require rebuilding the courts — effectively constructing new courts — and the master-plan site studies may recommend relocating them to a different location within the park.
On the North Loop restoration, staff presented a scope to remove about 16,000 cubic yards of sand and silt, re-establish drainage and rehabilitate vegetation. Moore said bid documents were finalized and planned for release on Monday, March 1; bids will be open for 30 days and the town is asking contractors to achieve substantial completion on the riverbank side by June 1 so some river access can return this summer.
The boat launch was separated from the larger North Loop project after staff determined a geological shift had moved the river channel so the existing launch no longer connects to the water. Moore said the town’s floodplain-hazard ordinance restricts development in the floodplain to the original footprint, so legally the town can repair or replace the launch “in kind” but cannot relocate or expand it to reconnect to the new channel without an ordinance change. Council has not approved an amendment, so staff said the launch work will proceed only to restore the facility as it existed unless policy changes.
Staff described steps to follow North Carolina public-bid rules: a public opening, engineering review of completeness, and selection of the lowest qualified bidder unless the town documents a compelling reason otherwise. Moore said engineering will review submitted bids and make a recommendation to the town for the lowest qualified bidder.
The board also heard that the broader park expansion and a new maintenance facility will undergo utility, soils and environmental studies through the master-plan process; staff said those studies are expected to be complete before design and will inform whether amenities (including tennis courts) are relocated or replaced. Moore summarized the timeline as multi-year, with phased design and potential construction requests included in upcoming budget cycles.
The board agreed to keep council and the public informed via social media and the town website about closures and construction schedules, and staff emphasized they are aiming to coordinate work to restore river access while balancing regulatory limits and long-term planning.
