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.

All repairs are required to conform to the Montford Historic District Design Review Standards. Any proposed repairs will be reviewed by the Historic Resources Commission and the Planning & Urban Design Department. Additionally, repairs are to comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation of historic properties.

Some tree removals will occur in Riverside Cemetery, along the north east corner of the cemetery, in order to ensure success of the new retaining walls with replanting of appropriate species. Roadway, stormwater, and retaining wall repairs have been approved by FEMA for mitigation which means repairs may be designed and constructed to better withstand future storm damage.

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. 

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. 

Montford Park incurred slope failure, stormwater pipe damage, and granite 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.