100+ people pack White Lake Town Hall to hear concerns over beach access

WHITE LAKE, NC (WWAY) — More than a hundred people gathered at White Lake Town Hall on Tuesday evening as the Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from a concerned citizen about beach access.

Bill Watson is a property owner and business owner in White Lake. He says recent changes to beach access have, among other things, harmed his hotel and golf cart rental business. Watson presented his concerns to the town’s Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night.

In early April, the Town of White Lake dead-ended Alexander and West Williams Streets to mark the end of the town-operated portion of the streets.

After the signs were put up, Jake Womble with Goldston’s Beach Incorporated says he began enhancing the beach by removing asphalt that had been placed by his grandfather over the years, which he says a majority was on Goldston’s Beach property. He then added more sand to the area.

“Anyone who has stated that I removed a road, a street, or any other official drive has been misinformed,” Womble said during the meeting. “No such thing has occurred.”

Watson says the asphalt was removed without the consultation of the other two property owners. Additionally, he says the signs and sand have interfered with golf cart and handicapped access to the beach.

Womble says he has tried to resolve the golf cart parking and handicap access issue with the other property owners. He says he proposed putting a golf cart parking area on the beach with a ramp for handicapped access to the beach and pier. This would be funded by the three property owners. Womble says the property owners, including Watson, verbally agreed but then did not sign an agreement when presented with it.

Watson says he could not sign the agreement because it did not include a cost estimate and it contained other items that he did not agree with.

“That’s not his beach and that’s not for him to be making decisions on that because it belongs to all of us,” Watson said. “If we don’t stop this takeover of closing off the public beaches, it’ll be over with.”

While the property beyond the dead-end signs is not controlled by the town, the town manager and mayor say they will continue to work with all parties involved to hopefully resolve the issue.