Tryon Town Council agreed last week to spend an estimated $40,000 total on repairing its maintenance shed retaining wall after hearing it was creating a safety hazard.

Council met last Tuesday and gave public works director Joel Burrell authorization to&bsp; contract with the low bidder on&bsp; the wall portion of the project. The town also has estimates on the paving portion as well as budgeting a contingency for the project.

Burrell and councilman Dennis Durham reviewed the wall and both referred to it as a safety hazard. Burrell said the wall is leaning at an approximate 10 degree angle and if it fell it would come in on the building with definite damage and possibly injuries.

The wall is at the end of the parking lot above the maintenance shed on Maple Street downtown. The wall is literally severed in the middle with half of the wall coming apart towards the shed and a fence that leans on the building supporting one end of the wall. (see pictures).

Burrell said the town repaved half of the concrete retaining wall in the late 1970 and it is the older portion that is causing the problem.