[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6191378,"mediaKeyId","4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea","parentId",4747896,"title","Riverwalk residents petition over construction traffic; developer, town say covenants don’t bar use of Cullasaja Drive","audioSeconds",523,"startMs",155000,"endMs",678000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea&start=155&end=678","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea/thumbnail_155000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6191378/Highlands/Macon-County/North-Carolina/Riverwalk-residents-petition-over-construction-traffic-developer-town-say-covenants-dont-bar-use-of-Cullasaja-Drive","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191378-0a9817c1b106cb5d3272a27a277245af/orig.mp4?Expires=1775716862&Signature=Kp0BVGkD-QF5PWN3coyb-Nd8evPP8ZQ~5zDBuQOAyKVzSDNqPWPL5E9Ej5ydOyNKLi3eCttDEjcdsfFPGjCbO49U2ZeqNDDHaBe04kDpZC-utlecAbrDTacEyze2NvQvQh9KJ1i9pbBAh5uy4xTrBXQw6twv1MIMpAbFbZ2x1iArYQ4kw5sCGxHWVJ5tuMiqWqW-T6ySYEU5pD5BNW49RGGgOhtZ3y7AN~747utteY-xVfD1x4RzI32V0MSQlhEOInToraz9Bb84r~nMEjK24tOmL0khgc8z9oc1lvdpAEAPSeefKLxnyOqeopNI~8jYGZKi4bY4JrqwJuL~h7dzVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Highlands, NC","date","2025-06-20T13:14:56Z","article","Residents near the Riverwalk subdivision pressed the Highlands Board of Commissioners on June 19 about construction traffic using the Cullasaja Drive “back gate,” saying the activity is a safety and nuisance problem for nearby neighborhoods.

At a public-comment segment, resident Gretchen Chitzy said she had gathered roughly 50 signatures for a petition and described recurring problems with speeding and construction vehicles using the back gate that connects Riverwalk to Cullasaja Drive. Chitzy asked whether the developer could be required to stop using that egress for construction traffic.

Developer Dustin Hirschfeld, who identified himself as the current owner and general contractor at Riverwalk, told the board he reviewed the subdivision’s 2005 minutes and the planning-board recommendations. He said the planning board had recommended that “all construction traffic” use the Highway 64 entrance, but that the town did not require that recommendation in the final, recorded documents. Hirschfeld said the recorded restrictive covenants do not bar construction traffic on Cullasaja Drive, and that the town lacks authority to enforce the planning-board recommendation now.

Hirschfeld said his crews would stop using the back gate “as an olive branch,” and that the immediate framing work behind the Chitzys’ house will finish in the coming weeks, which he expects will reduce traffic. He acknowledged other homeowners and subcontractors sometimes use the gate to avoid long delays on Highway 64 and said he could not control how private homeowners use it.

Town Manager Josh Ward and Town Attorney Nick Tosca told the board and speakers their review supports Hirschfeld’s recounting of the permit history: planning-board recommendations were discussed in 2005 but not carried into the recorded preliminary/final plat restrictive covenants. Tosca said the recorded covenants, and not planning-board minutes or recommendations, are the binding documents that “run with the land.” He and Ward advised that restrictive covenants cannot lawfully impose restrictions on third-party roads outside the subdivision and that the town therefore has no legal basis to cite the developer for using Cullasaja Drive.

Board discussion emphasized keeping communications open among residents, developer and staff. Ward and Hirschfeld said they have been in regular contact; Ward said town inspectors have been on site during construction. Commissioners noted the current developer’s steps to reduce gate use and asked staff to continue monitoring and to relay residents’ concerns.

The board took no formal enforcement action; members and staff said they would continue to facilitate communication between neighbors and the developer.

Residents pressed for clarity about whether the planning-board recommendation ever became binding; town staff and the town attorney said it did not because the recommendation was not included in the recorded restrictive covenants. Chitzy said she would continue to work with staff and the developer on the neighborhood’s safety concerns.

The public-comment portion of the meeting and the staff report show the issue remains unresolved administratively rather than legally: town officials said recorded covenants control and enforcement options are limited, while the developer said he would voluntarily limit gate use to reduce neighborhood impacts.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Highlands Regular Board of Commissioners Meeting - June 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Residents near the Riverwalk subdivision pressed the Highlands Board of Commissioners on June 19 about construction traffic using the Cullasaja Drive “back gate,” saying the activity is a safety and nuisance problem for nearby neighborhoods.","taxTitle","Highlands, Macon County, North Carolina","taxId",54262,"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},6191358,"Votes at a glance: Highlands Board actions June 19, 2025",3600,3822000,7422000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea&start=3822&end=7422","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea/thumbnail_3822000.jpg","/articles/6191358/Highlands/Macon-County/North-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-Highlands-Board-actions-June-19-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191358-7f31d3479e255364d2b3772d9d81fc70/orig.mp4?Expires=1775716862&Signature=cEUp3z2Gxb4UqRfkK3nM9VGqsUOmd-aCvJORJq6d7X-rKSu534LzMjH9Taj1BVNWalBlVww~RZ0uHtVolOdpCD1TzOvCI1HS0K~OT8cPwKkyluhfGlhiQkUkDg3rnRfUMhUBwqdzIcR7YIsIt-gWyAf7Pw0z4fRt0wbnC~Eu3g8pB91N1UrcQK6h49DRrVolWCvnM7-qpa-Osq4lWi7Fqsp810VMukfArTrj-gwS7FYtihj7eggrBxb52gOt96GR3BG-BQsxxT6KMfI1LiJiM3SjBGXOPi2Ia3UZpgUKHDOrcy76YqtbIvho3UjhJcyDcSSsOrsDVmoigxI4uSvatw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Highlands Board of Commissioners took the following recorded actions at its June 19, 2025 meeting. This roundup lists motions, motions’ outcomes and immediate follow-up tasks included in the meeting record.

Votes and formal actions

1) Fiscal year 2025–26 budget and fee schedule — approved
Motion: Approve the FY 2025–26 budget as presented including the fee schedule; motion carried by voice vote during public hearing closure and subsequent council action.
Follow-up: Auditors to begin financial review; staff thanked for budget work.

2) Visitor Center building lease with Chamber of Commerce — approved (one‑year lease)
Motion: Approve the lease as circulated; effective date to be the date of last signature; one‑year term (dates and notary to be added before final signatures).
Follow-up: Town manager and chamber to sign and notarize lease.

3) Pay scale (cost-of-living adjustment / cola) — approved
Motion: Adopt the pay scale as shown in the budget packet (3% COLA referenced); approved by motion and second.
Follow-up: Payroll and HR to implement new scale.

4) Encroachment permit, 628 North Fifth Street — approved with condition
Motion: Approve owner request for small gate encroachment subject to an encroachment agreement and hold‑harmless approved by the town manager and town attorney; motion carried.
Follow-up: Town attorney to prepare encroachment agreement for owner signature.

5) End-of-year budget amendments — approved
Motion: Approve end-of-year budget amendments as presented (insurance coverage and carryover capital items among adjustments discussed).
Follow-up: Finance to file amended budget and notify auditors.

6) Dog Mountain waterline project — low bid awarded
Motion: Accept the low bid from Steelwell Enterprises ($2,556,766) for the Dog Mountain Waterline project and adopt the accompanying resolution necessary for state review; motion carried.
Follow-up: Submit bid documents to state for grant review and notice to proceed; construction expected to start in September–October subject to state approval.

7) Downtown Business District parking map — approved with modification
Motion: Adopt the planning-board recommended 2025 downtown parking map with modification to make both sides of Oak Street between Third and Fourth employee restricted; motion carried by voice vote.
Follow-up: Public Works to stripe and sign; staff to return with tenant/employee parking policy for town lots.

8) Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) amendment, Section 8.30.2 — continued
Motion: Continue the public hearing and delay final action to the next meeting so staff and counsel can draft revised language that preserves attic standards for the B‑1 district.
Follow-up: Planning staff and town attorney to draft revised ordinance language for next meeting packet.

Procedure notes
- Several motions were carried by voice vote; the meeting record did not list roll-call tallies in all cases. Where a vote tally was not recorded in the transcript, the file indicates the board adopted the motion by “all in favor” voice vote.
- The record includes multiple motions that authorized staff follow-up tasks and future presentations; none of the items above committed the town to multi-year funding on June 19 except standard budget appropriations.

","Summary of formal actions taken June 19 including the FY26 budget adoption, visitor-center lease, pay-scale adoption, encroachment permit, end-of-year budget amendments and low-bid award for Dog Mountain waterline; several items were continued for further drafting or scheduled workshops.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6191364,"Board approves revised downtown parking map with new employee-restricted blocks and daycare drop‑off signage",993,6021000,7014000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea&start=6021&end=7014","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea/thumbnail_6021000.jpg","/articles/6191364/Highlands/Macon-County/North-Carolina/Board-approves-revised-downtown-parking-map-with-new-employee-restricted-blocks-and-daycare-dropoff-signage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191364-d54035d165922d25945219851040007f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775716862&Signature=C4eYDdXNx724Pj~c6sHKMVdoVhxsWkjsj~I8zTcqYsLGneMMZXWsWit2dyNFegy8aIWCcjv4jViMk06SnQhDl8kCoL~2pkQlfZy6Um2qI1Bp~NKQFKJu9m9CaKctNxrvNn~lHzHQZTJuOIt2lxUuHB7ouAfICuWdd0YUjdxQ7Ng7Mlyg2HUtOqcHrI8fA~nk9tTLjQKMORp-fAscq7TUceP-ACy7sjxfqWcNMYpJgNSUTujxmTZomRjst2K-jtOCphPhtO7NBBfWH46iCKuI5nllSc1S9Sl5wAuEN4OqVC2WUGW9PGKdvVjgLtUa5fDvYj576okxV3HoiEcpQ~QvHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Highlands Board of Commissioners approved a revised downtown parking map on June 19 that changes several on‑street spaces to employee‑restricted parking, adds EV charging locations to the official map and directs staff to work with a local daycare on time-limited drop-off signage.

Planning staff described five changes recommended by the planning board: converting the south side of Main Street between Second and First to unregulated parking (removing employee restriction there), adding employee-restricted spaces on Oak Street north side (end of Playhouse to North Fourth), converting a block on North Fourth from unregulated to employee restricted, converting four Spring Street spaces beside the dog park to employee restricted (adjacent to the EV charging station), and identifying two time‑restricted spaces for child drop-off/pick-up at the Episcopal Church daycare during morning and afternoon windows.

Commissioners discussed additional adjustments. Several members asked that both sides of Oak Street between Third and Fourth be employee‑restricted (rather than one side only) to reserve customer parking on adjacent Main Street and to account for new business entrances. Staff agreed to add the chamber’s EV charging locations on South Third and Oak to the map. Staff also said they plan stripe work to clarify diagonal vs. parallel spaces and would evaluate employee parking for town lots behind town hall and the police department.

On the daycare request, the board asked staff to adopt a time-limited signage option (no parking between 7:30–9:00 a.m. and 3:30–5:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, or similarly worded signage for child drop-off/pick-up) and to install signage and striping as needed. Commissioners noted enforcement will depend on parking enforcement capacity.

A motion to adopt the planning-board recommended map with the Oak Street modification (restricted both sides between Third and Fourth) carried by voice vote; the board asked staff to return with a more detailed tenant/employee-parking plan for town lots at a future meeting.

","The board approved a revised 2025 Downtown Business District parking map that adds employee-restricted spaces in select blocks, adds EV charging locations installed by the chamber, and directs staff to stripe and sign daycare drop-off times; commissioners asked staff to return with a separate tenant/employee-parking policy for town lots.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6191368,"Boys & Girls Club seeks town land at Houston House for permanent Highlands campus",1811,4160000,5971000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea&start=4160&end=5971","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea/thumbnail_4160000.jpg","/articles/6191368/Highlands/Macon-County/North-Carolina/Boys-Girls-Club-seeks-town-land-at-Houston-House-for-permanent-Highlands-campus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191368-c566c747510c58fbd166db22ee15563f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775716862&Signature=YgKUijPZqzO0avj5~w2C1CjEFiz7zQ6VFfNPE0ZBED7Gdcd0GPnTC4NReO4EnlN5EsA3Hd3HbKetB9ibpDCfHzmx61uO0I6qZBBcbBNA345v2jUJiCbcowrsPgXyNDkvBUsdOQu0~xxPl9n90y9KgJTVZs7-dB~~zBqXqQiMLvMHyGTKU~eD0UfPZojRTENJk64YUN2fe3bvuBpHI947q6QQdS6iVSq41L6PJO4OeXIA59Z4LOPC4fMmRFwqcySOhtBKJAhf8PNT-dqdKmGFldzPYaGGbepq~bRms3gcpmhyDG-kcEqD7P1XeBLHdh-w2YbGC7LZW~Tt46yxZcvi-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders of the Boys & Girls Club at the Plateau asked the Highlands Board of Commissioners on June 19 to explore a public–private partnership to build a permanent Highlands campus on underused land at the recreation park commonly called the Houston House site.

Mike Kistner and Carmen Waite, director of the Highlands club, described rapid growth: the club opened a Highlands satellite in 2024 and a teen center this summer; they said waitlists and summer-camp demand show local need. Waite said the club operates under national Boys & Girls Clubs standards, provides evidence-based academic and career-readiness programs, and runs free summer camp and transportation for some Highlands children.

The club requested the town consider making town-owned land at the rec center available so the club could build a purpose‑built facility. Their proposed model: the town would lease the land to the club at a nominal rate and own the building; the club would raise private funds to construct the facility and assume full operational responsibility thereafter. The club presented conceptual site and building sketches showing a classroom-based layout and a covered pavilion for sports.

Commissioners and staff responded positively and said the proposal aligns with prior master plans for the rec area. Mayor Taylor and several commissioners described the idea as a long-term investment in youth services; one commissioner noted the club’s previous fundraising help for the playground. No funding decisions were made on June 19.

The board agreed to pursue the next step: hold a workshop or special meeting with town staff, club representatives and community stakeholders to scope partnership terms, property/legal considerations and any public funding role. Staff and the club will provide drawings and additional financial detail ahead of that workshop.

","Boys & Girls Club leaders asked the board to consider donating underused rec-center land (the Houston House site) so the club can build a permanent facility owned by the town and leased to the club; the board agreed to pursue a workshop to explore partnership details.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6191373,"Town delays final vote on UDO change after commissioners request explicit attic standards for B‑1 zone",782,2832000,3614000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea&start=2832&end=3614","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4747896-02d27cdf23d120184ca5eae5c97565ea/thumbnail_2832000.jpg","/articles/6191373/Highlands/Macon-County/North-Carolina/Town-delays-final-vote-on-UDO-change-after-commissioners-request-explicit-attic-standards-for-B1-zone","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191373-f6870d84d06901a7563cec7678e45af6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775716862&Signature=O28ZEph39o6UJCaQv0XBYJWTXfm1yfH10RiTXw1HdTySSZ1wQiqTmZRvGaMTXG5AkJEGawKPmdPd0P64Bvss-eDcpGpX6GhbrTd0Gku~8HQn-aJgf5mBKl~xOJKVc8uLiO-7XicJJsfpsZHhIsGGiM4YLjzfQLpK95AhbOR4MX0KXHc5r243Jnq24dcQKz71Hk5sxnspqH44F7Vu1R74UdXc6feFrlpdUp0EAfw93fJ2bXjyUQ9sXwa464yKk4w-OHeTe7DYiC6KEeBf3GOq3BKgi5y31Dsld2ZUK-7HQ2sS-nFRi4v~ubRYZ24ghJYWVifJtnUfgJwxxjFdiWDiQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Highlands Board of Commissioners opened a public hearing June 19 on proposed changes to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that would remove section 8.30.2 (floor-area rules for attics) and add a definition of “habitable space.”

Town Manager Josh Ward summarized the planning board’s recommendation to remove 8.30.2 on the basis that the UDO already regulates building height, habitable stories and built-upon area. Staff proposed a new definition of “habitable space” (area occupied for living, eating or sleeping, excluding closets, bathrooms, halls and utility spaces) aligned with the North Carolina building code, and suggested consolidating several related standards.

During discussion several commissioners and members of the public urged preserving the existing B‑1 (main-street commercial) attic standards that limit dormer length to 50 percent of the underlying wall line and prohibit exterior knee walls for habitable attic area. Commissioners said those standards help preserve the downtown architectural scale and prevent shallow-pitch roofs with tall knee walls that read as an extra story.

Town Attorney Nick Tosca advised that planning-board minutes and recommendations are not binding unless included in a recorded preliminary or final plat; he also said the UDO currently lacks a standalone attic definition. Tosca and staff recommended drafting a clear definition and relocating the attic conditions as explicit “attic standards” so they remain applicable to the B‑1 district.

After public comment and discussion, the board voted to keep the hearing open and continue final action to the next regular meeting so staff and counsel can draft revised language that preserves attic standards in a definition or separate standards section. No ordinance amendment was adopted on June 19.

","A June 19 public hearing considered removing UDO section 8.30.2 and adding a ‘habitable space’ definition; commissioners asked staff and counsel to preserve attic standards (dormer limits, knee-wall rules). The board kept the hearing open and continued final action to allow drafters to insert attic standards and circulate a revised ordinance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Riverwalk residents petition over construction traffic; developer, town say covenants don’t bar use of Cullasaja Drive

Votes at a glance: Highlands Board actions June 19, 2025

Board approves revised downtown parking map with new employee-restricted blocks and daycare drop‑off signage

Boys & Girls Club seeks town land at Houston House for permanent Highlands campus

Town delays final vote on UDO change after commissioners request explicit attic standards for B‑1 zone