Last week the Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Board approved a permit for Blue Ridge Concrete to build a plant on Murphy Hill Road.  This was the last permit required, and it was approved by a vote of 3-2.  I’ve heard the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens (NBACC), who have actively opposed the plant at that location, will appeal the decision.  So the 2-year plus battle continues, and should NBACC move forward with an appeal it’s likely the libel lawsuit Blue Ridge Concrete filed against the group earlier this month will also move forward.  No end in sight for this fight, and definitely no love lost between these potential neighbors.

The sage of whether or not a concrete plant will be built on Murphy Hill Road in the Flat Creek Community continues.  Tonight the Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency Board will hold a special meeting to consider granting a permit to Blue Ridge Concrete.  I understand the public can attend, but there will be no public comment period at this meeting (Public comments were taken online, via mail, and at an earlier meeting. All comments and the Air Quality Agency Board’s response to those comments can be read at www.wncairquality.org/blueridgeconcrete.htm).

Public Notice
The Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency Board will hold a special meeting pursuant to Chapter 17.0312 of the WNCRAQA Code on June 24, 2010 at five o’clock in the Buncombe County Commission Chambers at 30 Valley Street. The only item that the Board will consider is the proposed permit for Blue Ridge Concrete, Inc. If you have any questions about this meeting, please contact the Agency at 250-6777.

This is presumably the last hurdle the concrete plant has to jump in order to start building, but assumptions are, whichever way the board rules, the opposing side will file an appeal.

If you aren’t aware of the history, the fight for and against a concrete plant being built in the area began in earnest in the Spring of 2008.  The players are Blue Ridge Concrete, Inc., who wants to build the plant, and the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens, who oppose it being built in a residential area near 4 schools.

A public hearing on the intention of the Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency (WNCRAQA) to issue a permit to Blue Ridge Concrete will be held 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at North Buncombe High School (890 Clark’s Chapel Road).  Blue Ridge Concrete wants to build a plant near the intersection of Murphy Hill Road and the Old Mars Hill Highway, and the air permit is apparently the last thing the company needs to obtain in order to complete construction.  The North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens is encouraging community members to attend the hearing or write the WNCRAQA and make their views known.  Details about the public hearing and public comment rules from WNCRAQA:

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA REGIONAL AIR QUALITY AGENCY
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
The Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency (WNCRAQA) announces its intent to issue a permit to construct and operate a concrete batch plant for Blue Ridge Concrete, Inc., located on Murphy Hill Road in Weaverville, North Carolina. The permit has been written to allow operation of a ready mix concrete batching process with a maximum rated capacity of 60 cubic yards per hour.

The draft permit, permit application, emissions calculations, and all other materials available to the WNCRAQA that are relevant to the permit decision are available for public review at the following address:

Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Materials are available for review during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In addition, because there has been significant public interest in the proposed permit, the WNCRAQA will be holding a public hearing. The public hearing will be held:

May 26, 2010
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
North Buncombe High School Auditorium
890 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC

Individuals may register to speak at the hearing and/or submit written comments. Participants will be allowed to speak up to three minutes, but the hearing officer will have discretion to reduce speaking times if it is necessary to accommodate the number of speakers.

Persons wishing to comment on the draft permit are required to submit their comments in writing to the WNCRAQA, or in person at the public hearing being held on May 26, 2010. Comments must be received by the WNCRAQA no later than June 2, 2010. All comments received on or prior to that date will be considered by the WNCRAQA in making its final decision to issue the permit.

Written comments should be mailed to:

Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806

or emailed to Ashley Featherstone at ashley.featherstone@buncombecounty.org.

By law, the WNCRAQA must review permits for compliance with air quality regulations. The division has no authority over zoning, land use or where a company decides to locate a facility. Local governments are responsible for regulating land use. More information about other air quality issues can be found at the WNCRAQA Web site, www.wncair.org.

For additional information, please contact Ashley Featherstone, Engineering Supervisor, at (828) 250-6778 or ashley.featherstone@buncombecounty.org.

North Buncombe High School Earth Environmental Science teacher Kay McLeod sent me this information on how the community can help the school win solar panels in Progress Energy’s SunSense Schools competition. NBHS is one of 12 finalists in the competition, and 5 winners will be selected on December 16, 2009.  Here’s how to help them win:

HELP NBHS WIN SOLAR PANELS!!!!
We are finalists in SunSense Schools, Progress Energy Competition.

All you need to do is go to  www.progresscher.com.  Enter your Progress Energy Account Number and your zip code. Then select NBHS’s name from the drop down menu (this is the only way your help will count).  Complete the short survey online and that is it!

Remember, you must select North Buncombe High School from the drop down menu for your survey to count towards our winning the solar panels.

You can also help by asking neighbors, friends and coworkers to participate if they have Progress Energy service….just remind them to select NBHS from the drop down menu to make it count for us!

Please participate…..every completed survey counts and you will all receive a Home Energy Report later from Progress Energy.

If you need help with any of this please email kay.mcleod@bcsemail.org

Thank you for participating!

You’re invited to a free workshop on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at Weaverville Town Hall (30 South Main Street), where we will discuss updates on issues affecting farm and forest landowners.  Topics of discussion will include tax information, insurance and financial options, forestry management plans, conservation easements, value added and new enterprises, and farm transition programs.  Commissioner David Gantt will discuss the Buncombe County Strategic plan and the goal to sustain farming livelihoods.  Lunch will be provided.  On November 13, 2009, one on one consultations will be available at the same location.  To register, contact Erin Bonito at the Buncombe Co. Cooperative Extension office at (828) 255-5522.  Registration is limited to 100 people.

North Buncombe High School is one of 12 schools in the running in Progress Energy’s SunSense Schools Program. 30 schools applied for the program, and five winners will be selected on December 16, 2009. Winning schools will receive solar photovoltaic installations.  Congrats and good luck to North Buncombe!  Here’s the release about the program and the finalists from Progress Energy:

Twelve schools across the Carolinas have been selected as finalists in the Progress Energy SunSenseSM schools program. Five of the finalists will receive solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the coming months, as part of a partnership between Progress Energy Carolinas and the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ’N Community Foundation.

This hands-on educational program for middle school and high school students supports innovative ways to use and conserve energy and encourages students to develop innovative energy solutions. Finalists were chosen from nearly 30 applicants.

The Progress Energy SunSense schools program finalists are:

North Carolina
Asheville Middle School – Asheville
North Buncombe High School – Weaverville
Owen Middle School – Swannanoa
South Brunswick High School – Southport
Williston Middle School – Wilmington
Roland-Grise Middle School – Wilmington
Goldsboro High School/Wayne School of Engineering – Goldsboro
Jordan Matthews High School – Siler City
Daniels Middle School – Raleigh
Holly Springs High School – Holly Springs

South Carolina
South Florence High School – Florence
West Florence High School – Florence

Finalist schools will participate in a professional solar site evaluation and will be required to complete an energy project to be judged in regional competitions in December. Students from five winning schools will receive a permanent 2-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) demonstration system, valued at more than $20,000, to be installed at their school. The systems will be installed by Argand Solar, a North Carolina-based renewable energy company.

The Progress Energy Foundation will select winning schools by Dec. 16.

Weaverville will be hosting an Urban Stormwater Management Project Tour 10-11 a.m. on September 1, 2009, showcasing the Main Street Nature Park stormwater project. It’s free for those not seeking professional development hours, but online registration is required. Details:

Weaverville Urban Stormwater Management Project Tour
When: September 1, 2009, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Weaverville Town Hall (30 South Main Street)

Description:
Many urbanizing areas are faced with localized flooding problems and polluted runoff. Stormwater management best management practices (BMPs) are needed to treat both water quality and quantity. This mini-workshop and project tour will demonstrate what can be done to meet a variety of goals including water quality education, creating walking trails and viable green space, habitat restoration, decreasing erosion in streams, and methods to treat pollutants in runoff.

Join the designer for this exciting mini-workshop and project tour investigating urban stormwater management techniques. The Main Street Nature Park stormwater project that was recently constructed will be showcased, and participants will learn about aggressive exotic plant removal, riparian planting plans, and constructed stormwater wetlands. Stream enhancement techniques, stormwater best management practices (BMPs), and streamside forests will also be discussed.

Who Should Attend

• Landowners
• Natural Resource Managers
• Grading Contractors
• Design Professionals

Workshop Registration
FREE for attendees not seeking professional development hours (PDHs).
$20 for Professionals Seeking PDH Credits (1PDH has been approved for professional engineers (PEs)).
You must register online even if your registration is free. This lets us know the final headcount.

Agenda (pdf)

For more information: Contact Carter Cone at (828) 665-2492, Ext. 339 or email carter_cone@ncsu.edu

There’s a Healthy-Built Homes Tour this weekend in Weaverville. There are 5 locations on the tour, which takes place Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. More info:

Weaverville Healthy-Built Homes Tour
The tour runs from July 31-August 1, 2009 and is made up of several homes which will be open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day. There is no charge — simply drive to the home you would like to see and look around. An agent will be on duty to answer questions. The idea is to educate potential buyers on the merits of energy-efficient homes and answer the question, “Why is a healthy-built home a better built home?”

Homes on the Tour:
3 Pathwood Lane, Weaverville
37 Moore St. , Weaverville
5 Williamette Cr., Weaverville
158/160 Pickens Rd. , Weaverville
117 Spicewood Rd. , Weaverville

Directions and more information about each home is available from the Tour Flyer (pdf).

The rain location for today’s Arbor Day ceremony, originally planned for Lake Louise, is the Weaverville Fire Department (3 Monticello Road ). Here’s what you’ll find happening there starting at 3 p.m.:

• Weaverville will receive its 19th Tree City USA Award and a special Tree City USA Growth Award
• Several people will be recognized with the Mayor’s Community Service Award
• Beautification awards will be presented
• Tree Board poster and poetry contest winners will be recognized
  • Poster Contest First Place: Bryson Oliver
  • Poster Contest Second Place: Emerson Rohl
  • Poster Contest Third Place: Brandi Berninger
  • Poster Contest Honorable Mentions: Grace Rossell, Freddy Alexis Perez, Jeshua Potts, Brigid Hudson
  • Poetry Contest First Place: Lilah Rossell
  • Poetry Contest Second Place: Polly Metcalf
  • Poetry Contest Third Place: Megan Threadway
  • Poetry Contest Honorable Mentions: Dylan Wofford, Justin Crane, Moriah Buttman
• Music will be provided by Jane and Jim McCoy and the North Buncombe Middle School Jazz Band.
• The Weaverville Wildlife Habitat Team will be giving away free native butterfly plants (one per family as supply lasts)
• A white oak tree will be also be planted in memory of Clark Pennell, educator and principal in the area for 35 years. Mr. Pennell passed away late last year.

Have old medicines you need to get rid of?  Take them to the Weaverville Ingles (140 Weaver Blvd. ) this Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., so they can be disposed of safely.  Details about “Operation Pill Crusher”:

Did you know that prescription drugs should not be flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash? Drugs can kill helpful bacteria in septic systems and pass largely untouched through sewage treatment facilities. Children and animals can get into drugs discarded in the trash, and once in landfills, drugs can trickle into the groundwater.

To give residents an opportunity to dispose of their old, unused and expired medications in a safe manner, several agencies have organized Operation Pill Crusher. The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, SBI, Asheville Police Department, Black Mountain Police Department and Weaverville Police Department will be at the following Ingles Grocery Store locations on April 18, 2009 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., to accept the voluntary disposal of prescription medications.

• Ingles Grocery Store, 29 Tunnel Road, Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 301 Long Shoals Rd., Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 575 New Leicester Hwy., Leicester
• Ingles Grocery Store, 7 Leicester Highway, Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 225 Charlotte Highway, Fairview
• Ingles Grocery Store, 915 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 500 Highway 9, Black Mountain
• Ingles Grocery Store, 140 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville

For more information, contact the Drug Enforcement Administration at 828-350-3440 or the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office at 828-255-5555.

The Weaverville Wildlife Habitat project is sponsoring a Gardening for Wildlife workshop 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 12 at the Weaverville Library (41 North Main Street). The workshop will take place after the Weaverville Garden Tour and includes programs on how to certify your backyard as wildlife habitat, how to attract birds and butterflies to your property, and how to convert unused lawn areas to natural meadows. There is no cost to attend, although donations to the Weaverville Wildlife Habitat project are appreciated.  Participants can come to any or all programs scheduled during the afternoon.  Here’s the full schedule:

1:30–2 p.m. Elements of a Certified Wildlife Habitat
Alicia V. Hulse, Weaverville Wildlife Habitat Team Leader
To share your property with birds, butterflies and other small creatures, you need to provide them with food, water, cover, and places to raise young. Using native plants in your landscaping will also benefit wildlife and provide you with a sustainable landscape that requires minimal effort.

2–2:30 p.m. Creating Habitat for Butterflies
Art Hulse, Board Member, Botanical Gardens at Asheville
Butterfly gardening is easy, can be done in a relatively small space, and provides almost instant gratification. This session will focus on butterfly natural history, garden design and plant selection for the garden.

2:30–2:45 p.m. Break

2:45–3:30 p.m. Creating Habitat for Songbirds
Herman Lankford, Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society
Gardens can be beautiful while providing humans with great opportunities to view birds from the convenience and comfort of home. In this presentation, you will learn about songbird habitat needs, with a focus on some of the best choices of native plantings for food and cover.

3:30–4:30 p.m. Converting Lawns to Meadows
Randy Burroughs, Landscape Architect
Revitalizing the unused areas of your lawn provides habitat, attracting more birds & butterflies to enliven the scene. Local case studies will show several processes which you can adapt to your particular situation. Maintenance and labor-saving strategies will be discussed to help make this adventure easier to enjoy.

Weaverville Library, along with all branches of the Buncombe County library system, will be giving out one free reusable shopping bag per person (while supplies last) beginning Tuesday, July 1. Additional bags will also be available to purchase for $1 each.  The library is doing this in an effort to encourage people to use reusable shopping bags.

Every year the average citizen goes through 6 plastic bags per week or 312 per year. That may not sound like much, but when multiplied by the number of Buncombe County citizens that’s a potential of 1,260,000 bags per week. The cost of disposing of these bags in the landfill is about 17¢ each, and as you can imagine, that cost adds up. By using just one reusable bag for a year, the average household would save the disposal of 20 pounds of garbage in our landfill.  If you multiple that by the number of households in the County, the potential savings is 600,000 pounds of trash a year.

The cost of recycling plastic bags so outweighs their value that most recycling facilities will not take them – leading to more and more being thrown into the landfill. Thanks to their light weight, plastic bags are the debris most likely to fly away from landfills and garbage trucks, settling in trees, storm drains and road sides.

Certified as a Wildlife Habitat that is. The Weaverville Wildlife Habitat project has a goal of certifying 51 Weaverville homes as wildlife habitats. The Habitat Team was recently informed by the National Wildlife Federation that they have reached the halfway point towards that goal with 26 homes now certified. In addition, all three of our local Bed & Breakfasts (Secret Garden, Inn on Main Street, and Dry Ridge Inn) are now certified. For further information check out the project website, www.myweaverville.com/weavervillewildlifehabitat

Sights and sounds of the 17-year Cicadas in the Beech Community. Warning: if you don’t like bugs, you probably don’t want to watch this video. You also probably don’t want to stand still around them with a video camera for any period of time, or you’ll be forced to edit the section of video where you scream because you realize one of them has landed on your shoulder.

Weaverville resident and The Green Robin owner Robin Payne will be teaching a series of Green Living Classes this summer at the Greenlife Community Center (70 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville). Classes are 6-8 p.m. and they cost $30/class or $100/all four classes. You can register online at www.thegreenrobin.com or by calling 713-9281.

Class One – Green Your Home (June 3)
This class covers topics such as identifying the best indoor air cleaning plants, choosing the most non-toxic furniture and home fixtures, and a review of green bedding and clothing. Additional topics include green building basics, all natural yard maintenance, greening your laundry process, and keeping an environmentally friendly home office.

Class Two – Green Your Body (June 24)
This class covers topics such as finding out which organic produce you should choose and which items you may not have to spend the extra money on. Learn why you should select toxin-free personal care products, how to make your own cleaning products, and what food additives to avoid. Learn why the things we put on our body can be just as harmful as the things we put in our body.

Class Three – Conscious Consumerism (July 1)
Do you know where the things you buy come from, who created them, and what resources were used to make them? Through a simple series of questions, find out where most of our shopping dollars are going and how we can make more informed choices to create real change. Topics discussed will include fair trade, buying local, and the simple living philosophy.

Class Four – Green Your Life (July 22)
This class covers topics such as how to reduce your energy and water consumption (what are your carbon and water footprints), what is and is not recyclable, how to compost, how to “green” your whole life, and how to identify greenwashing. Many additional green topics are covered – green burials, green entertainment, green pet care, and more!

View from the audience at the public hearing for the proposed concrete plant last night at North Buncome Middle School. The hearing started at 5:30 p.m. I left at 10:40 p.m. The Citizen-Times reports the hearing lasted over 6 1/2 hours (!!) and the Buncombe County Board of Adjustments unanimously rejected the proposal. No word yet if Blue Ridge Concrete will appeal the decision.

Mountain Xpress article
Citizen-Times article
WLOS video

Weaverville’s Arbor Day Celebration takes place beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 18 at Lake Louise Park (or, if it’s raining, at the Weaverville Municipal Building at 30 South Main Street). Festivities include:

• Presentation of the 18th Tree City USA Award to the Town of Weaverville
• Presentation of Mayor’s Community Service Award, Tree Board Community Stewardship Award and Beautification Awards
• Recognition of Tree Board Poetry and Poster Contest Winners
• Tree Planting Ceremony in honor of Robin Smathers
• Special Entertainment provided by Robin Smathers and Weaverville Elementary School Students and North Buncombe Middle School Jazz Band under the direction of Mary Jo Sparrow

Everyone is invited to attend.

I’ve mentioned before that the Public Hearing for the proposed concrete plant on Murphy Hill Road was rescheduled for Wednesday, May 14. It will be held at the North Buncombe Middle School at 5:30 p.m. The auditorium at the school can hold 400 people and opponents want to fill the auditorium.

The concrete plant proposal is the only item on the agenda. Proponents of the plant will go first, followed by expert witnesses for the opposition, then any citizens who wish to speak. Organizers are asking remarks be kept short (under three minutes unless you’re an expert witness), polite, factual, and non-repetitive.

North Buncombe Middle School is located at 51 North Buncombe School Road.

If you need more information about the proposal and the reason for the opposition, here’s some of the more recent articles about it, and the public hearing process that’s stretched out for months (it actually started before I began publishing this website):

MyWeaverville.com Posts

Mountain Xpress Articles
Round Two
Concrete Plant Halted on a Technicality
Concrete Plans Not Yet Firm

Weaverville Tribune
Hearing on Proposed Plant Not Concrete (PDF, story of page 9)
Court Schedules Public Hearings for Concrete Plant (PDF, story on page 6)
Shepherd Now Owns Murphy Hill Land (PDF, story on page 27)

Asheville Citizen-Times
Concrete Plant Hearing Stopped

This just received from the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens:

I just received official notification from the County that the new Public Hearing on the Murphy Hill Concrete Plant will definitely be held on Wednesday,  May 14 at the North Buncombe Middle School auditorium, starting at 5:30 pm.
 
We will be the only item on the agenda. The proponents of the concrete plant will again go first on the agenda. The capacity of the auditorium is about 400 seats. 

Update from the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens regarding the rescheduled concrete plant hearing. For more information contact Aaron at 645-9291.  I will post the time and location as soon as it is made available.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,
 
Last Monday, the Concrete plant proponents “writ of mandamus” – was heard in Court. They were trying to force us and the County to rehear their case in early April. 
 
The judge found that there was no reason to force a meeting in April and required that the County set the meeting in May.
 
In short, the concrete hearing will restart from the beginning. It will be held early Wednesday evening, May 14th, probably at 5:30, at either the North Buncombe Middle School or the North Buncombe High School.
 
Since the date was mandated by the court, it will not be rescheduled!!!!
 
It is more important than ever that as many people as possible show up. Please circle the date and time and start telling your friends and neighbors.
 
It has been wonderful to work with our attorneys (Gary Davis and Jamie Whitlock) but their time is expensive – even though they have agreed to cut their customary rate. Thanks to the many who have already donated to the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens.
 
If you haven’t yet sent a check, or, if you can afford to give again, please make a tax deductible contribution to the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens and mail it c/o Martha Claxton, 240 Upper Flat Creek Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787.  We need to raise approximately $8,000 more to put on an effective defense at the upcoming hearing. This will pay for printing, expert witnesses, legal fees, and other misc. expenses. All of the many non professionals who have so generously given of their time have been working for free.

Put down the matches. A Burning Ban is in place again throughout North Carolina:

The N.C. Division of Forest Resources has imposed a statewide ban on all open burning and canceled all burning permits as of noon Thursday, March 27. The ban on open burning will remain in effect until conditions improve.

Under North Carolina law (G.S. 113-60.25 and 113.60.27), the ban prohibits all open burning statewide or in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was issued. The issuance of any new permits has been suspended until the ban is lifted. In addition to the $100 fine, people in violation of the open burning ban will have to pay for court costs.