[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6114904,"mediaKeyId","2741042-41a029e195271eaaeec43bc6bd9a3574","parentId",2741042,"title","Asheville staff seek authority to work with Buncombe County on FEMA hazard-mitigation buyouts and elevations","audioSeconds",685,"startMs",2275000,"endMs",2960000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741042-41a029e195271eaaeec43bc6bd9a3574&start=2275&end=2960","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741042-41a029e195271eaaeec43bc6bd9a3574/thumbnail_2275000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6114904/Asheville-City/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Asheville-staff-seek-authority-to-work-with-Buncombe-County-on-FEMA-hazard-mitigation-buyouts-and-elevations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114904-f9f98b243260790e0a4cf85b95c5ed34/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205699&Signature=GiwhuP9xZDYO3ojaOvewbbTF-UQnwisH2BQajWfFz-fUGVVdAoKJQyo-5yVpPdZqXgTH2xsqSM7iS~BPYDJIVLbHaiR9uS4vzMGSaJu9sQ4Z0OBAgunEHaaYZY0nFw~vw3HAFI5DOKOwOKPf9VG7kYgUeYiNFJ5FaisojRvopC~owVvKe4rdPxzcss-yKjNp0qPirnDfqhx8YNbQIsljvMmcDFOCHb8fpRTLVhixG0zLxQtOvVrrHZK1~xIjb9Om9lGHSrGT7lZMSmbGZhRPUI9JZH5kSD5OmXFJFgpwGS4C3fNTceNjggI5QA2VwNQgCDO5SKutZXyFeTgb4nh2Zw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Asheville City, NC","date","2025-03-21T04:16:59Z","article","Recovery Coordinator Bridget Herron told Asheville City Council at a March 20 agenda briefing that the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will be administered to North Carolina using a state-centric model and that the city needs an interlocal agreement with Buncombe County to facilitate any property acquisitions within Asheville city limits.

\"This is a federally funded program. It is being administered by the state using the state-centric model,\" Herron said. She said the program offers options for private property owners to voluntarily apply for acquisition, elevation, reconstruction or other mitigations intended to break the cycle of repetitive damage.

Key points Herron gave council: North Carolina has roughly $1,500,000,000 allocated for this program; the state will accept applications through Oct. 30, 2025 (staff cited the state deadline); the state (North Carolina Department of Public Safety/Emergency Management) will process applications and work with FEMA; and the county will batch and forward applications, so the city needs an interlocal agreement to receive notifications and accept properties the city chooses to retain in perpetuity.

Herron summarized the current application snapshot the county provided: 21 commercial acquisition applications (three listed with institutional restrictions), seven residential acquisitions; two commercial and 12 residential elevation applications; and two residential land-stabilization applications. Herron cautioned these are applications in process and not approvals; individual application details remain confidential until acquisition is completed and deeds recorded.

If the council approves the resolution on the March 25 business agenda, the resolution would authorize the city manager to represent the city in program dealings and sign paperwork to acquire properties that staff recommends accepting. Herron said that if staff recommends denying an application, the matter would return to council for a final decision; if staff recommends acceptance, the city manager would be authorized to proceed without additional council votes so the process can move efficiently for applicants.

Herron and councilors discussed how the city should coordinate outreach. Several council members asked for more proactive local outreach to commercial property owners in the River Arts District because the city’s damage assessment shows a high proportion of commercial damage; Herron and staff said they would work with county and state staff and the city’s communications team to amplify messaging and pursue in-person briefings with state staff where feasible.

Staff cautioned council about dependencies and timing: FEMA site inspections, debris removal and state processing must occur before acquisitions and temporary measures proceed. Council members also noted that although Congress has allocated funding for the program, staff reported the state had not yet received all federal funds, which could lengthen timelines.

Staff asked council to adopt a resolution on the March 25 business agenda that: (1) authorizes the city manager to represent the city and sign necessary documents related to HMGP acquisitions; and (2) approves an interlocal agreement with Buncombe County to receive application packages and coordinate local review. Herron said staff will provide quarterly updates to council on the status of applications and acquisitions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Agenda Briefing – March 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Recovery coordinator Bridget Herron briefed council on the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program administered to the state under a state-centric model and asked council to authorize an interlocal agreement with Buncombe County and grant the city manager authority to accept approved acquisitions that align with city recovery goals.","taxTitle","Asheville City, Buncombe County, North Carolina","taxId",3915,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6114909,"Asheville staff outline parks, arts and cultural recovery priorities after Tropical Storm Helene",1151,953000,2104000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741042-41a029e195271eaaeec43bc6bd9a3574&start=953&end=2104","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741042-41a029e195271eaaeec43bc6bd9a3574/thumbnail_953000.jpg","/articles/6114909/Asheville-City/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Asheville-staff-outline-parks-arts-and-cultural-recovery-priorities-after-Tropical-Storm-Helene","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114909-affae708ab9629445c018acbcc291c0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205699&Signature=WswGUK7Nn9NSl82mkXeEruNqKx3gXD3HGDhbfYF16hZXOSsEYtknmFKI48wKKkYBqgj4lg20zfnOhuVKkW0cAzzwAL2kl7rgcW3x2DA7LaGTqQennUvYdaRX4s7WxL5aOJaZWVF5lChtCZ48u8zxF8KGR8dCFt3l8VUsqn1Yb4wt1tXcCJysSsU-9IEYzesdQuy3EK6GVrpENsEWPz2U~Spd7iY2EbSe5p11Mz0rNqPYZjblNvX3tmlYQZyhnzNr1r8dnIP-5BW9beFKaCwwcupXle~JlffH42sUnoBMXt89vQWKQe6HTIEuv4SHx3cXDeMdpZRWrgseJMwRUaPdLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parks and Recreation Director Dee Tyrell McGirt told the Asheville City Council at a March 20 agenda briefing that a Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Support Group is prioritizing reopening damaged parks and supporting the local arts economy after damage from Tropical Storm Helene.

The recovery support group (RSG) has been divided into three small teams — arts and creative industries, historic and cultural heritage, and parks and natural resources — and is using the FEMA disaster recovery format to align short-, medium- and long-term projects, McGirt said. \"This update today highlights our ongoing recovery efforts, again, related to natural and cultural resources,\" she said.

The nut of the update: staff are prioritizing rapid reopening of parks and greenways that are safe to use, identifying temporary services to replace lost amenities, and coordinating longer-term, resilient redesigns for major sites such as French Broad River Park and River Arts District. Short-term items already completed include an inventory of city public art and a plan to reallocate existing public art funds; midterm work includes standing up temporary uses such as dog parks and outdoor volleyball and planning aquatic operations for the summer; long-term work focuses on riverfront revitalization, habitat and tree canopy restoration, and stormwater strategies.

Council members asked for more detail about specific sites and temporary measures. Council member Kim Browning asked whether pickleball had been considered alongside dog parks and skating facilities; McGirt replied staff focused first on amenities lost where there is no alternative citywide, and said staff are open to expanding temporary options. Councilor Oman and others pressed for more clarity on erosion-control measures along the French Broad and Swannanoa riverbanks; McGirt and Recovery Coordinator Bridget Herron said debris removal and FEMA site inspections must occur before many temporary bank-stabilization measures can be installed, but staff are exploring interim erosion-control options.

Council and staff discussed coordination with other agencies working in riverfront areas. City Manager Deborah Campbell and other council members noted a large Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project is underway at French Broad River Park and that MSD has not yet presented to council; staff agreed to invite MSD to brief the council. Campbell emphasized the scale of the work and the need to follow federal and state recovery rules: \"we've gotta do it by the book, y'all, because this is expensive stuff we are dealing with,\" she said.

McGirt listed parks targeted for near-term reopening: Richmond Hill Park and Riverside Cemetery are being assessed now with the aim to reopen within weeks; French Broad River Park, River Arts District recreation spaces and Swannanoa River recreation areas are longer-term projects that will require design and resiliency planning. Staff also reported that the natural and cultural RSG is folding its arts and historic work into the economic recovery RSG and parks work into the infrastructure RSG to streamline recovery coordination.

Council requested more frequent, detailed briefings on erosion-control approaches and invited MSD to present the scope of its riverwork. McGirt said staff will return with more detailed strategies and timelines as FEMA inspections and debris-removal steps are completed.

As a next step, staff will continue coordination with infrastructure and economic recovery groups, develop temporary service plans for lost amenities, and provide council with follow-up information about erosion-control options and MSD's plan.","Parks and Recreation Director Dee Tyrell McGirt briefed Asheville City Council on a Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Support Group plan to prioritize reopening parks, support artists and cultural institutions, and restore riverfront and tree canopy after storm damage from Tropical Storm Helene.","actionData","errors"]

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Asheville staff seek authority to work with Buncombe County on FEMA hazard-mitigation buyouts and elevations

Asheville staff outline parks, arts and cultural recovery priorities after Tropical Storm Helene