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Work begins on Mecklenburg County's only public beach

By Angela Hong
By Angela Hong

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — After years of discussion, crews are starting work this week on Mecklenburg County's only public beach.

It took years for county leaders to agree to build the beach. When they finally did agree, the recession hit and money for the project ran out.

The public beach will be at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius. There will be an unknown fee to visit the beach, officials said.

On Thursday, contractors surveyed the area and mounds of sand were sitting in the parking lot.

Some of the people at the park support the public beach and are looking forward to using it.

"I always came to the park, walk around and not being able to swim, it was such a tease," said Blair Sly.

The county banned swimming more than three decades ago after several people drowned. The ban was lifted in the mid-2000s.  People are glad the work is finally being done.

"I know that when I was a little kid I always wanted to go swimming in Lake Norman, but you couldn't do that," said Kim LaBombard.

Until now, you needed your own waterfront property or a boat to swim at the lake.

"That's such a disadvantage to so many Mecklenburg County residents," said Bill Russell, of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce.

Russell said people would often call them searching for a beach.

"They say, 'Can you tell us where to swim?' and we have to direct them up to Lake Norman State Park," Russell said.

That's more than 20 miles away in Iredell County.

Russell said the beach will open on Memorial Day and should be good for tourism and the local economy.

Some residents told Eyewitness News they are concerned about traffic on Nantz Road leading to the park, especially if there will be more visitors.

But the county said there are plans to eventually add a traffic light at Nantz Road and West Catawba.

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