20150703 Ver 2_USACE Correspondence_20200731

Strickland, Bev
From: Greer, Emily C CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2020 2:27 PM
To: Homewood, Sue
Cc: Turlington, Chad
Subject: [External] FW: [Non-DoD Source] Public Notice Response SAW-2015-02060
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
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Sue -
See the below email chain from an adjoining property owner. I believe I'll be able to settle some of his
comments/complaints without effect to the project. Through on -going talks with the commenter, I will
determine if there is any unconventional onsite "mitigation" that can be done to accentuate the use of the
lake for the public. I did this with the Hope Mills Dam project and the community seemed quite happy with it.
Off the top of my head, I remember they improved the boat dock/ramp, installed informative signage about
the history of the lake and the ecology in the public access/picnic area, designated a swimming area, and
acquired a historical building (I think it was a church) to convert into a museum for the dam/lake. I'll check
with WRC about the dock the property owner speaks of and if there is the potential to provide a shoreline
they can access.
Let me know if you have thoughts or further questions.
Emily Greer, Regulatory Specialist
Wilmington District -Wilmington Regulatory Field Office
69 Darlington Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403
910.251.4567 (o)
-----Original Message-----
From:Greer, Emily C CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2020 12:36 PM
To: T.B. <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [Non-DoD Source] Public Notice Response SAW-2015-02060
Hi Tim -
These are great comments and I appreciate you responding. Give me some time to formulate a response
because I believe I can answer some of your questions on behalf of WRC and the Corps. In the meantime, can

you track down and provide me any correspondence or documentation that pertains to the dock you
reference, or were these conversations mostly verbal? Also, can you clarify that the dock that is depicted on
the project drawings is the dock you're referencing, or have you been promised another dock located
somewhere else, and if so, where will the second dock be located?
I look forward to working with you on this.
Emily Greer, Regulatory Specialist
Wilmington District -Wilmington Regulatory Field Office
69 Darlington Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403
910.251.4567 (o)
-----Original Message-----
From:T.B. <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, July 9, 2020 10:50 AM
To: Greer, Emily C CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [Non-DoD Source] Public Notice Response SAW-2015-02060
Dear Emily,
Our property is the one on the east side of the secondary spillway and
is none locally as the Cypress House on Rhodes Pond. The Address is
10785 Dunn rd. Dunn NC 28334
The Cypress House is owned and operated by the Fallen Brotherhood Motorcycle Association , itself a non
profit
The business entity of the Cypress House is a non profit with the stated mission of the betterment of the
community
In answer to your question of Does the property already have a fishing dock and a launch for kayaks, boats,
and paddle boards?
The answer is no because the State redid the shore and put down stone for erosion control. They blocked off
our access to the water.
They have promised us a dock and have in fact contructed the anchor for the dock on our shore. The current
plan that we have been given is for a
8x50 ft dock which is a far cry from what was originaly promised in 2015 (A T-Dock) 100x12ft ?? 50 ft out
Everytime we talk to the state it gets smaller.
This is a sore point for us and the local community and a poor exchange for losing our ability to operate
because of lack of access to our shoreline.

1. you can certainly call me at any time on my cell 910 988 3946
2. what is your best guess ballpark or otherwise when they will have the permits in hand and be able to start?
3. why cant they start the prep work that doesnt involve wetlands regs or permits?
4. a Whole lot of people would be happy to see some movement on this project if only clearing and prep work
and will make the job go faster
5. can the existing rock be covered with dirt and graded to a shorline with a gentle slop and appropriate grass
or ground cover?
If so - we woud like the dirt that is being removed from the construction area and fill in the "horseshoe" from
the dock anchor to the far limits of the rock on the bridge side.
It would benefit the project by cutting down drastically on the hauling expense and speeding up turn around
time for the trucks hauling it off
Everybody wins if this can happen
On 7/8/2020 2:38 PM, Greer, Emily C CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) wrote:
> Tim-
> Thank you for your comments. Your email is the encouraged form of written communication for us in the
digital age and especially since we are all still working from home. Your frustrations are understandable, and
my hope is that the completion of the project will ease many of them. So I have a better understanding of your
concerns, wants, and needs, I have a few questions for you. On which property is the Cypress House located?
You can provide either the coordinates, PIN, or name of the owner. Does the property already have a fishing
dock and a launch for kayaks, boats, and paddle boards?
> For your edification, WRC received a Corps general permit within 45 days from the receipt of a complete
permit application in 2015. The process the project must now go through is much longer because the review is
more in-depth. While we strive to complete the review within 120 days from the date of a complete
application, this goal is rarely met because the timeframe is dependent on the quality of the information we
receive, the complexities of the project itself, and public comments. The Corps is not involved in many of the
aspects of the project that you mentioned, such as project cost, construction schedule, and contractor
bidding/selection; however, we will provide your comments to the applicant for their awareness. Once WRC
has received all applicable permits, they have five years to complete the project. I do know that they are eager
to begin construction as soon as possible, so it is reasonable to anticipate that the project will be completed in
a timely manner. It is up to you, but if you have a phone number at which you can be reached, I can provide
that to them should they wish to speak with you about your concerns.
> Again, thank you for providing your comments.

> Emily Greer, Regulatory Specialist
> Wilmington District -Wilmington Regulatory Field Office
> 69 Darlington Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403
> 910.251.4567 (o)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: T.B. <[e-mail]>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 8, 2020 12:07 PM
> To: Greer, Emily C CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
> <[e-mail]>
> Subject: [Non-DoD Source] Public Notice Response SAW-2015-02060
> TO: Emily Greer
> FR: Timothy Buckholz /Fallen Brotherhood Motorcycle Association
> RE: SAW-2015-02060
> 8-J u 1y-2000
> Dear Emily Greer
> By way of introduction my name is Tim Buckholz and I represent the Fallen Brother Motorcycle Association —
A non-profit that owns the Cypress House on Rhodes Pond. We have been here since the start of this "project"
post tropical storm Andrea in 2013.
> Please be aware that I just received your notice and am forced send this to you email to make the suspense
date of June 9th. I ask that you would provide me the accommodation of accepting my letter despite the
requirement to receive it in written format.
> First some background that's not mentioned in your letter ..
> Prior to June of 2013 the state of NC (Fish and Wildlife) under the
> direction of Erik Christoperson blocked off the secondary spillway
> gates with concrete for what reason we don't know
> The state took control of the south east corner and took the Only good
> area for camping and events and put in a depot that is NEVER used for
> the pond and rarely used at all and is an eyesore
> The damn was functioning fine (since the mid 1700s) the night of Tropical Storm Andrea. The dam was
operational and held back the storm surge as designed. The problem is the State of NC put locks on the gates
once they purchased it from the Honeycutt Family and had no one locally that had access to the gate controls.
> No one opened the gates of the remaining spillway. That's why it was topped during the storm.
> This is what put the spillway under the high risk status .Not the failure of the structure but the failure of the
state.

> After waiting for years to a solution the state started the remedial projects in September 2015.
> If they worked at a rate of any private sector firm worked then the project would have been completd but
the work was a best sporadic and the work crews were often sent to other projects during the construction
time.
> When they were here half the time they did nothing or had people "leaning on shovels"
> Just before Mathews there was another weather even and the doors were not open again in a timely
manner and this left a surplus of water in the containment area and Hurricane Mathews got a head start.
> Since those failures of the state we have been impacted severely. Ours is a venue for meetings ad social
gathering and zoned as such with the addition of recreational.
> That pond was our business and the only draw for us and the community was the pond .
> Because of the way they laid out the rocks on the edge the state has
> effectively sealed off access to the pond from our property as we
> cannot permit guests to walk on the large unstable rocks as it
> presents a clear risk of injuries
> Today it is and eyesore and a breeding ground for mosquitos and snakes .
> Our Intent is to turn it into something that will benefit the community and offer the following:
> 1. Kayaks and Paddle boards
> 2. Dock Fishing
> 3. Porch Gatherings
> 4. Meeting Venues
> 5. Stage and Music Events
> 6. Swap Meet and Community Flea market support 7. Festivals 8. Etc
> We have a keen community interest in making this a destination that
> someone would want to get in there car for and travel out here. And as
> mentioned weare anon -profit and it is in our charter to be an asset
> to our community and will work to better the community if given the
> proper resources (the water back)
> The amount of time, effort and funds we have put into this is insane without anything to show for it. The
state continuously tells us the construction and end dates and they NEVER are correct. We are at a loss about
how this process works and how long it is taking and where the money goes.
> An Army corporal could manage this project better than it has been so far.
> We ask that this project be expedited and performed in a timely manner.
> The hoover dam was conceptualized, planned, constructed and completed in under 5 years yet this will end
up taking 9 years to essentially fill in a hole.
> We fully understand how the bureaucracy slows things down but enough is enough this has gone on too
long .

> This time around give the community a single point of contact for information Set Goals and Suspense date
in the deliverables section of the contract like any other private sector would.
> Do not allow the work crews to work on other projects and require they actually work Open the books on
this project to public scrutiny Open the bid process up to find an engineering firm and construction crew that
can complete work like a private sector contractor Investigate the ties between the current and former
contractors with state officials and contracting personnel.
> Tim Buckholz
> FBMA President