BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Black Mountain officials are relocating public safety personnel after determining the town’s public safety building may no longer be safe to occupy.
The Black Mountain Town Council authorized the move during an emergency meeting March 12 after reviewing an assessment that identified structural concerns at the facility on Montreat Road. Relocation efforts began this week, with departments shifting operations to temporary sites.
Fire department operations are being moved to Presbyterian Church property on Montreat Road, allowing crews to continue responding to emergencies without interruption. Police and fire administrative staff will operate out of the Ridgecrest Conference Center while officials work toward a longer-term solution.
Town officials said emergency services will remain fully operational, and residents should continue to call 911 in emergencies. For non-emergency police matters, residents can call 828-419-9350.
In-person services will be limited. Some assistance will be available at Town Hall on Midland Avenue, and residents are encouraged to call ahead to arrange meetings or services.
The town is also evaluating the use of modular office units along Honeycutt Drive as a longer-term temporary workspace.
Interim Town Manager Richard Hicks said the decision to relocate was driven by concerns for employee safety.
“Once we received the assessment, we knew it was time to act to relocate public safety staff,” Hicks said.
Fire Chief John Coffey said response capabilities will not change during the transition.
“Our firefighters and officers remain fully committed to protecting the residents of Black Mountain, and our response capability will remain unchanged,” Coffey said.
The relocation follows a presentation earlier this month in which consultants warned the building may not be safe for continued occupancy. The structure, originally built in the 1950s as a grocery store, now houses the police and fire departments.
Consultants from McGill Associates and Moseley Architects told council members they observed multiple signs of structural distress, including bowing brick walls, floor cracks and ongoing basement flooding. Officials said the combination of structural movement and water intrusion raised concerns about potential failure if conditions worsen.
Architect Kevin McDade said the damage could be linked to soil instability beneath the foundation, possibly caused by water intrusion.
“We do know there’s something happening to the building,” McDade said. “We don’t necessarily know what.”
Engineers found evidence of water entering a storm pipe under the structure, which could weaken supporting soil and lead to settling. Flooding through a retaining wall in the basement on the police department side also raised concerns about foundation issues.
McDade told council members the problems appeared most severe on the fire station side, where the concrete floor sits directly on soil.
When asked whether the building was safe to occupy, McDade said it was not.
“My professional opinion is no,” he said. “Something is actively happening to that building.”
Consultants recommended geotechnical testing, including soil borings and core samples up to 20 feet deep, to better understand the extent of the problem. The testing is expected to cost between $5,000 and $10,000.
The assessment gave the building a Facility Condition Index of 0.77, well above the 0.30 threshold considered “high priority,” indicating significant repair needs. The report estimated $2.2 million in deferred maintenance, including about $1.85 million in critical repairs within the next year.
Consultants said replacing the roughly 12,000-square-foot facility could cost about $6.6 million in construction, or up to $8 million for a full project.
Town officials said they plan to move forward with additional testing while weighing whether to repair or replace the aging facility.