Find out why The Park at Flat Rock has construction, trail closures

FLAT ROCK - Construction crews along Highland Lake Drive have been a common sight due to the ongoing road-widening project, but now construction crews and equipment have made their way inside the Park at Flat Rock leaving many visitors asking why.

Turns out, it's for a very good reason, according to the park's director, Michael Dages.

"It's the Dye Creek Restoration Project. We broke ground a week ago," he said on April 4. "It's something we've been planning on for a very long time."

Dages said the first proposal for the project was presented to the Flat Rock Village Council two years ago, and the estimated cost was $500,000, all coming from federal grants and community funds.

"We hired an engineer and architect and got environmentalists out here to put the plan together, which took about a year and a half. We wanted to do it at the same time the (Highland Lake Road) construction was going on," he said.

The creek restoration is happening in different stages, Dages said.

"The current construction that is going on right now is just the grading and rerouting and re-carving of the creek and stream channel," he said. "That phase will probably take about a month, and the rest will be done by June."

When completed, Dages said Dye Creek will be healthier with less erosion and better water quality.

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"It will be a better habitat for birds, amphibians, fish and wildlife within the park. We're also looking to see better flood mitigation. Every time it rains now, we get a lot of washout. This will have better impact on storm water management," he said.

Dages said visitors will also have more recreational opportunities with the creek and its surroundings.

"People are going to be able to access, view and interact with the creek in ways that they really can't now, because it's kind of sitting in a ditch covered by multi-floral rows and other invasive plants that you can't really access," he said.

During the restoration project, a few of the park's trails will be closed.

"The trails that cross the creek are closed at this time. Some other trails will be closed as crews work around those sections," Dages said.

While that may be inconvenient for visitors, Dages said most comments about the project have been positive.

"People understand why we are doing what we're doing. Our park users are interested in keeping the park healthy and beautiful. It's been very, very positive so far," he said. "I'm really excited about it and really proud about how it's shaping up."

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Why The Park at Flat Rock has construction, some trails closed