Black Mountain elected leaders to explore ‘short-term’ solution for Lakeview Center
Town announces upcoming meeting on structural Floor repairs
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 27, 2025
The Black Mountain Town Council will meet, Oct. 28, in a special call meeting to discuss options related to structural repairs that could allow the Lakeview Center for Active Aging to resume senior programs on the upper level. Photo by Fred McCormick
A special call meeting of the town council to discuss funding options to reinforce the floor of the top level of the Lakeview Center for Active Aging will be held at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The announcement, shared in an Oct. 22, social media post by Councilmember Doug Hay, was made nine days after residents and Mayor Mike Sobol advocated for the reopening of the structure, which has been unavailable to host programs for senior citizens since Helene. The Town of Black Mountain shared an official press release, Oct. 23, on its website and social media platforms.
Three public commenters in the October regular meeting of the town council urged the municipality to complete repairs to floor joists and allow programming to resume on the upper floor of the two-story wooden structure. The building, overlooking Lake Tomahawk, experienced significant flooding on the lower level from the natural disaster in September of 2024.
During the remediation process, conducted by BELFOR Property Restoration, an engineering report submitted by Ruggles Engineering identified fire damage to existing beams supporting the top floor. The Charlotte-based firm discovered the previously undocumented charred beams, obscured by ceiling panels above the bottom floor. Sections of the framing were replaced or repaired by “sistering new members to the fire damaged framing,” according to the report, which added the floor would require the ability to support a load of 100 pounds per square foot to meet current standards.
Following the discovery of the damaged supporting structural framework, the top level of the building was closed to gatherings of more than eight people, while four recreation and parks employees, whose offices were destroyed by flooding from the Swannanoa River, were temporarily moved to the Lakeview Center.
The initial engineering assessment, completed in November of 2024, outlined repairs necessary to gain compliance with safety requirements, including the installation of additional floor joists sistered to the existing members of the support system. Last July, a report submitted at the mayor’s request by Asheville-based Medlock & Associates Engineering, offered similar recommendations for reinforcing the load capacity.
Sobol gathered bids for the project, including an estimate of $9,600 from Ewing Construction to complete the work, which would address removing or replacing utility infrastructure in the process.
No further public communication or discussion on the matter occurred in the meeting, prior to a social media post from Hay. In his communication, titled “Let’s talk about the Senior Center,” the council member summarized the damage to the bottom floor of the building, adding that information regarding FEMA-related projects was constantly evolving. The Town, according to Hay, learned during the public assistance process that future grants and federal funding would only be granted for structures constructed in accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program.
“The Lakeview Center does not currently meet those standards, and to meet them moving forward, we must follow a long list of required protocols for approvals, engineering reports and construction,” he said, adding that the former boat house, in its existing form, could not be rebuilt to meet those requirements.
Fixing the existing floor support, however, was a viable short-term option, according to the elected official.
“This is the option you may have heard about recently, and a special call meeting is being scheduled to discuss that option next week,” Hay said. “From there, staff will soon be presenting to the town council a number of options (and funding options) to rebuild Lakeview for long-term success.”
A subsequent statement by the Town of Black Mountain acknowledged strong community interest in reopening the Lakeview Center, adding that Blowing Rock-based Arete Engineering has complete a site visit in the process of developing a detailed damage assessment, outlining the extent of the storm damage and requirements for compliance with the NFIP.
The NFIP, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is a network of more than 47 companies that provide flood insurance to property owners, renters and businesses. The current assessment of the Lakeview Center, according to the Town, is intended to equip elected officials with information and assist them in determining “the most appropriate path forward” for the structure.
Town staff, the release continued, are working with N.C. Emergency Management, FEMA Public Assistance and other agencies to identify funding solutions for the establishment of a temporary facility in which to host senior programs.
“Due to recent changes in FEMA Public Assistance funding availability, the Town is now able to move forward with temporary repairs to secure the Lakeview structure,” the press release stated. “These updates create greater flexibility in how the Town can proceed with short-term stabilization and planning for the building’s future and securing funding.”
In additional to the special call meeting, the town council will hold a work session, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1, when the board will review recovery projects for grant applications and budget amendments related to funding for engineering and some construction projects, as the municipality awaits FEMA Public Assistance obligations.
Both meetings will be held at the town hall and open to the public, but public comment is not planned for either, due the evolving nature of the discussions, according to the announcement.
“The public will have the opportunity to speak on these topics at a future meeting,” the press release from the Town concluded.