Public beach proposed for west side of Lake Norman

LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — A new way to enjoy a beach day on Lake Norman will break ground in Denver on the west side of the lake.

The new beach is going in at the end of Unity Church Road in Lincoln County, and it’ll be about an acre of land. It’ll have a place to swim out on the lake, and a fishing pier.

But some locals say a spot like that in this quiet neighborhood could bring big crowds and big problems.

Bry Jackson comes to Beatty’s Ford Park every day to write while under the sun and surrounded by nature.

“I don’t feel like there is any pressure from the outside world attacking,” Jackson told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon.

But that could change, she fears, when Duke Energy builds a beach at Beatty’s Ford Park with concessions, additional parking, and new amenities.

“Us locals, we wouldn’t like it here. It takes away from us being able to experience nature,” Jackson said.

She and several residents fear that kind of attraction means big crowds, which won’t fit on the rural two-lane road leading to the park.

One parkgoer told Lemon that he thinks the beach would bring: “More people, more trash, more traffic, and everything that comes with it.”

But folks at West Lake Family Restaurant see it a little differently. The spot is about five minutes away from the park, but most people have to pass by their front door to get to the park.

“More money in our pocket and more money in his pocket,” said head server Audrey Dalton while standing with the owner, talking about the potential impact. “There’s no beach around here.”

Jackson says she likes it that way.

We don’t know how long it’ll take to build the new beach, but we are told it may not open until next year. Specialists have redrawn the plans, and the beach is going through the permitting process again.

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