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Please help us bring back the tourist economy
for Lake Lure and Chimney Rock As
everyone knows, The Town of Lake Lure and the Village of Chimney Rock
were hit hard by Hurricane Helene. In order to remove sediment from
Hurricane Helene’s flood and make necessary repairs and/or replacement
of the town’s sewer system, the lake may remain lowered for more than a
year, maybe two. The bridge to Chimney Rock State Park was washed away.
The economic impact of losing our two most important tourist draws is
immense. Replacing the bridge to Chimney Rock State Park will take a
year and a half to two years. The State Park owns a two-lane paved road
behind the Lake Lure Inn. The distance from this road to the entrance
road to Chimney Rock Park is less than a quarter mile. This road
extension could be built in less than six months. This road extension is
already on the park’s master plan because it has always been evident
that only one means of ingress and egress is a huge safety issue.
Because of the need for more than one way to get to the park, we are not
asking for this extension to be done instead of a new bridge. We need
both. Our town and local businesspeople are urgently asking for the road
extension to be built as soon as possible so the park can reopen. It
seems like the decision makers in Raleigh don’t see the urgency in
building the road extension. We need your help to persuade NC State
Parks, NC Department of Transportation, Rutherford County Tourist
Development Authority and philanthropic organizations to join together
and build the extension of the road. It would be a huge help in
rebuilding our local economy and an equally huge boost for our local
morale. Please
contact the officials listed below and include the above information. Thank
you Contact information for elected and appointed
officials Governor Josh Stein:
https://governor.nc.gov/contact/contact-governor-stein Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt: Contact:
Zachary.Godwin@nc.gov Mailing Address: 20401 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0401 NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshal Post Office Box 29622 Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0622 North Carolina Department of Natural and
Cultural Resources, Secretary Pamela Brewington Cashwell
https://www.dncr.nc.gov/general-contact-form 4601 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-4600 Brian Strong, Director of North Carolina
State Parks
https://www.ncparks.gov/about-us/list-contact-information Nature Research Center, 2nd floor 121 W. Jones St. Raleigh, NC 27601 Joey Hopkins, NC Transportation Secretary 919-707-2800 Marilyn McHilse, Interim Secretary to the
Board of Transportation 919-624-3308 mmchilse@ncdot.gov 1578 Mail Service Center Raleigh,
NC 27699-1501
NC Representative Jake Johnson (Rutherford,
Henderson, McDowell and Polk Counties)
(919) 715-4466
300 N. Salisbury Street, Rm. 529 Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 State Senator Tim Moffitt (919) 733-5745 16 West Jones Street, Rm. 2111 Raleigh, NC 27601 Representative Eric Ager (Buncombe County) 919-715-2013 300 N. Salisbury Street, Rm. 504 Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 Representative Jennifer Balkcom (Henderson
County) 919-733-5956 16 West Jones Street, Rm. 2215 Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 US
Senator Thom Tillis
https://www.tillis.senate.gov/email-me US Senator Ted Budd
https://www.budd.senate.gov/contact/ US Congressman Chuck Edwards https://edwards.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact US Congressman Tim Moore
https://timmoore.house.gov/contact
Don Cason, Executive Director, Tourism Development Authority don.cason@rutherfordcountync.gov (828)-287-6121 146 Main Street Rutherfordton, NC 28139
Suggested letter for the Governor (but can be customized for ANY elected official):
The Honorable Josh Stein
20301 Mail Service Center Subject: Urgent Request for Support to Restore Access to Chimney Rock State Park
Dear Governor Stein,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing on behalf of the residents and business community of Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, urgently seeking your assistance to address a critical issue impacting our area—the loss of access to Chimney Rock State Park due to the destruction of the park's bridge during Hurricane Helene.
Chimney Rock State Park is one of North Carolina’s most important tourist attractions, drawing visitors from across the country and significantly contributing to the local economy. The economic impact of losing access to this park, compounded by other recent challenges, is devastating to our community and the many small businesses that depend on tourism.
While plans to replace the washed-away bridge are underway, we understand this project will take 18 months to two years to complete. In the interim, we propose an immediate, pragmatic solution: extending the existing two-lane paved road behind the Lake Lure Inn to connect with the park’s entrance road. This extension spans less than a quarter mile, aligns with the State Park's master plan, and could be completed within six months.
This road extension not only offers a timely solution to restore access to the park but also addresses a long-standing safety concern. As the master plan acknowledges, having only one point of ingress and egress to the park poses significant risks. For this reason, we are not requesting this road extension in lieu of the new bridge but as an essential addition that supports both immediate recovery and long-term safety.
Governor Stein, we urge you to prioritize this road extension project and provide the necessary support to expedite its approval and construction. Reopening Chimney Rock State Park as soon as possible is vital to the economic stability of our region, the preservation of local jobs, and the well-being of our community.
We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter further and explore how the state can assist in making this critical project a reality. Please do not hesitate to contact me at [your phone number] or [your email address].
Thank you for your attention and support during this challenging time. We are confident that, with your leadership, we can restore access to this beloved landmark and ensure the continued prosperity of our region.
Sincerely,
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