Local

New Mecklenburg Co. beach continues to draw crowds despite parking concerns

LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — Ramsey Creek Park Beach continues to be popular even as the county tries to control the crowd.

The gray sky didn't stop the crowd at Mecklenburg County's only public beach on Independence Day. Channel 9 spotted plenty of people playing in the sand, swimming in the water and having picnics.

At times this summer, the beach hasn't been so nice, especially for people who live nearby.

During Memorial Day weekend, thousands packed into the beach meant for 500 people. Drivers were turned away and people were forced to walk along Nantz Road to get to the beach.

Now the county is taking action to stop that.

The county is paying $3,600 each weekend for a shuttle bus to pick people up in Huntersville and take them to the beach at no charge. There are now signs along Nantz Road saying no parking is allowed. The county is also charging walk-ins between $3 and $5 each depending on age.

"If you got a couple of adults, that money is coming out of your pocket," Cherise Anderson, of Charlotte, said. "I would rather take the shuttle in and just deal with it."

Mecklenburg County has made $41,680 from the beach, and the work is far from finished. North Carolina Department of Transportation still needs to install a traffic light at the corner of Nantz Road and West Catawba Avenue. The Cornelius Police Department is directing traffic in the meantime.

More than 260 people signed a petition asking for the beach to close because of the issues.

But Bunny Spingola has been coming to the beach nearly every weekend since it opened, and says things are getting better.

"Now that they know what to do, it has improved a lot," Bunny Spingola, from Dallas, NC, said. "It's just a great atmosphere."

Despite the calls for the beach to close, including from the Cornelius mayor, the county says that will not happen.