Morganton makes progress on boardwalk, soccer complex, residential lots

The City of Morganton was recently obligated $2.7 million by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild the boardwalk at River Village Shopping Center, which was damaged during Hurricane Helene. Construction is underway, with the new boardwalk expected to be completed by the end of the year or early 2027.

The boardwalk, which connects the Catawba River Greenway and provides vital foot traffic for businesses in River Village, is expected to cost about $3.2 million. FEMA funding, combined with a 10% match from the state, will cover the project.

“That’s to build the boardwalk back to new codes and standards because the original was built in the ‘90s, so a lot of things have changed in that 30 years,” Deputy City Manager Rob Winkler said.

In February, the Morganton City Council awarded a $2.93 million contract to Wilkie Construction Company Southeast, LLC, out of Lenoir, which includes a 5% contingency of $140,000. The city spent $243,000 for the engineering and demolition of the previous boardwalk.

Winkler noted that the funding from FEMA still has to go through state approvals before the city can officially receive the money. Public Information Officer Jonelle Sigmon explained that the city is reimbursed as project steps are completed.

“For this project and other ones, we turn in our invoices to them (FEMA) and that’s when we get reimbursed,” Sigmon said. “It’s not like FEMA goes, ‘here’s a big bag of money,’ so it’s still kind of a process.”

So far, Wilkie’s crews have completed much of the foundational work, including installation of footings and helical piles as well as pouring concrete cylinder supports. Winkler said some of the decking products have been delivered and crews are waiting for some steel to be delivered.

“It has 143 helical piles that go down in the ground to support this thing. It’s got new codes and standards. It’s been engineered and it’s designed to carry a large footload capacity,” Winkler said. “We’re trying to design it for sustainability, using products that are going to withstand future storms.”

While the completion of the boardwalk depends on weather conditions and receiving materials on time, Winkler said the project has been running smoothly so far.

Although the boardwalk project is further along, the city is continuing to make progress on several other Hurricane Helene recovery projects.

During the Department of Homeland Security’s partial shutdown, City Manager Sally Sandy expressed concern that Morganton would not be reconnected with its FEMA project manager. Now that the department is back in full operation, Winkler said the city has resumed work with Ryan Germany, the city’s assigned project manager.

RESTORING CATAWBA MEADOWS, SOCCER COMPLEX

The city is continuing engineering work for the restoration of Catawba Meadows Park and the Catawba River Soccer Complex. Winkler said the city has submitted cost estimates to FEMA and is waiting for a response.

The city is also in the engineering phase for the Rocky Ford Greenway, where a section was completely wiped-out during Helene. The city is nearing the 50% design stage. Staff have also submitted materials to FEMA for repairs to the raw water intake and weir at the water plant.

“Some of those are pretty close to being obligated for that, we hope, but the big one for us is always going to be Catawba Meadows and the Soccer Complex,” Winkler said. “That’s the largest expenditure that we have.”

During Sandy’s June presentation of the budget, she noted that preliminary engineering estimates place the cost of rebuilding Catawba Meadows and the Soccer Complex at between $27 million and $30 million.

PLANNING AND ZONING UPDATES

On July 9, Morganton’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of two sets of plans, one of which could bring a major subdivision to Latimer Lane, located off St. Mary’s Church Road.

The group behind the project, Western Carolina Developers, plans to bring 30 lots to the area. The plans meet current zoning and subdivision standards, including infrastructure for roads, water, and sewer, but the city council will still have to give the OK.

The commission also recommended approval for an alternative landscaping design for Thrive Church, which is moving to the old Pavilion Roller Skating rink off South Sterling Street. The design would allow for additional landscaping in existing parking spaces rather than the standard linear planting adjacent to the building.

Though the design will need approval from city council, the commission supported it because it enhanced landscaping beyond ordinance requirements while accommodating the existing building structure and parking layout.