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Foes deliver 1,600 signatures against Highland Lake widening

FLAT ROCK — The Cultural Landscape Group Flat Rock presented 1,595 petition signatures in opposition to the North Highland Lake Road project to the Flat Rock village council during the public comment period of the April 12 regular council meeting.

“I am grateful that we have chosen a community that truly cares about keeping the ambience and sense of place that drew us to Flat Rock several years ago,” said Lynne Kennedy, a founding member of CLG and Flat Rock resident. “CLG has experienced, in a few short months, an overwhelming response in support of our opposition to the Highland Lake Road project. While the Flat Rock village council may have been well-meaning in the promotion of this project over the last two to three years, they did so without the involvement of those residents who live here. There is a lesson for all of us as to transparency, communication and being involved in our local government deliberations.”

CLG has been working to educate the community on how this road project would affect not only the immediate property owners, but the village as a whole.

CLG opposes the North Highland Lake Road project for several reasons, including the danger of increased traffic speed because of the proposed road changes; the fact that the road does not currently present a safety hazard according to NCDOT; concerns about the project’s impact on a primary gateway into the village and Flat Rock’s designation on the National Register of Historic Places; the failure to include community stakeholders in the decision-making process; and the taking of private property for an unnecessary project.
The Cultural Landscape Group:Flat Rock is dedicated to preserving the cultural landscape of Flat Rock in a way that reflects the character and history of the area. For more information, check CLGflatrock.org or contact us at clgflatrock@gmail.com.