An Update on the New Lodge Project

Last month, a unanimous ruling from the North Carolina Court of Appeals reversed a trial court decision that set aside a Special Use Permit for the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA, dba Montreat Conference Center). The Court of Appeals ruling restored the Special Use Permit that the Town of Montreat had granted the conference center to build a new lodge on its campus. You can read the court’s 48-page ruling here.

On Wednesday, we were notified that the neighbors opposing our project have filed a petition to the North Carolina Supreme Court for discretionary review of the Court of Appeals decision. The petition asks that the state’s highest court take up the case. If the petition is granted, the case will proceed to a full briefing and argument.

In response, we will of course defend our right to build, and our argument will have the strength of the record in this case. The Appeals Court substantively addressed every argument raised by the project's opponents and ruled that the Town’s Board of Adjustments had properly resolved all contested facts.

While defending the decision will be costly, we believe it is necessary to protect the conference center’s property rights. Also worth defending is the Court of Appeals’ affirmation of the integrity and legitimacy of the town’s process. In this week’s filing, our opponents continued to question the motives and decisions of Montreat citizens who volunteered in good faith to serve on the Board of Adjustment.

Meanwhile, we are moving forward with our plans. We are confident in the scholarship of the Court of Appeals' decision. Furthermore, the need for new lodging is real and grows with each passing day. Remember that the Town of Montreat granted the Special Use Permit for a new lodge in January of 2022. In the intervening years, we have continued to receive wide support in the community and from our broader constituency.

We are committed to working with all Montreaters to fulfill the promise of this most important project. We will keep you informed as we move forward.

More to come,

Richard DuBose, President

Montreat Conference Center

Montreat Conference Center, a ministry of the Mountain Retreat Association, is a national conference center located in Western North Carolina with roots in the PC(USA). Learn more at www.montreat.org.