City to hold off on repairs until games’ completion

LANDRUM — The city of Landrum has decided to halt construction on its downtown sidewalks until after the World Equestrian Games are completed later this month.

The Landrum City Council met Tuesday and heard from Diana Winkler, with the Landrum Area Business Association.

Winkler said there is no place for visitors to park because the sidewalks are torn up, and there are traffic cones everywhere.

“We were promised this was supposed to be done in March,” Winkler said. “Some of the sidewalks are unsafe. I think you’re setting yourself up for a major lawsuit if somebody falls. We would just like to have it done for access to our businesses.”

Landrum Mayor Bob Briggs said he has heard numerous people complain about the sidewalks. He said the city planned to have them completed earlier this year, but ran into problems due to rain.

City Administrator Rich Caplan said the project is about 50 percent complete, and he has asked the contractor to do one section at a time so there would be only one or two businesses affected at a time. He also said 75 percent of the block between Shamrock and Church streets is complete.

Caplan said the delays have been from weather and parts.

“We can stop now and continue until after the games, or can continue in small sections,” Caplan said.

Winkler told Caplan if he is asking her opinion, she would say to put the project off until after the games.

Sidewalk repairs and curb and gutter began in downtown last October. The project has been done in two phases.

Landrum also put up three spotlights to improve visibility at night for the crosswalks between Howard and East Rutherford streets, East Rutherford and Shamrock streets, and East Rutherford and Church streets.

The World Equestrian Games began Tuesday with an opening ceremony, with the endurance race occurring Wednesday at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in nearby Mill Spring. Landrum businesses are expecting to see many of the possible 400,000 expected to come to the games.

WEG will end on Sunday, Sept. 23.