Happening Now

Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) hired local engineering firm RVE, Inc. to conduct damage assessment, cost estimation, engineering design, and oversee construction of repairs for Riverside Cemetery and Montford Park. Repairs to roads, stormwater infrastructure, fencing and gates, and retaining walls for the two locations were combined due to historic district requirements.

Relevant trees were removed atop the cemetery retaining wall in March 2026. Replanting of appropriate species in appropriate locations will take place once the project is complete. Entry gate, roadway, stormwater, perimeter fence, and retaining wall repairs have been approved by FEMA for mitigation which means repairs have been designed and constructed to better withstand future storm damage.

All repairs are required to conform to the Montford Historic District Design Review Standards and received a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Resources Commission and the Planning & Urban Design Department in April 2026. Additionally, repairs are to comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation of historic properties. In addition to the aesthetic and structural integrity of retaining walls at Riverside Cemetery and Montford Park, the work at the cemetery will require archaeological monitoring to protect gravesites and overall cultural resources.

This is a FEMA Public Assistance Project. It is anticipated that this project will be funded in full or in part through federal public assistance grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The scope requires identifying cost-effective mitigation strategies to protect the facilities from future damage specific to the FEMA Public Assistance Program, including but not limited to Stafford Act Sections 404 and 406.

The project's construction bid requirements will be posted in August 2026 and require expertise in stone masonry among other trades. Though no timeline or budget can be established until a contractor is on board, construction is projected to start by the end of the year.

Background 

Following the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene, Riverside Cemetery was closed due to unsafe conditions caused by debris and reopened by appointment only on October 14, 2024. Fifty-three trees needed to be removed and 132 headstones were damaged from downed trees. The City of Asheville worked with Western Carolina University, FEMA, and the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office to assess historical and cultural impacts at Riverside Cemetery. 

The assessment findings informed the next steps for debris management within the cemetery, allowing for:

• Phase 1 recovery work to reopen the site to the public
• Phase 2 work at the cemetery involved removing root balls and backfilling voids followed by a cost assessment for additional recovery including the historic entry gate road repairs, perimeter fencing, sinkholes leading to asphalt roadway failure and damage to stormwater pipes, and granite retaining walls
• Phase 3 includes cost assessments for additional recovery including Riverside Cemetery's entry gate, road repairs, perimeter fencing, sinkholes leading to asphalt roadway failure, and damage to stormwater pipes and granite retaining walls

Montford Park incurred slope failure and stone retaining wall impairment as a result of Tropical Storm Helene. Repairs to roads, stormwater infrastructure, fencing and gates, and retaining walls for the two locations were combined due to historic district requirements.

For more on the fascinating histories of these spaces, check out Park Views: Riverside Cemetery and Park Views: Montford Park.