[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6519965,"mediaKeyId","5340751-425d19cb3385e5f27ecc81aa61678344","parentId",5340751,"title","Buncombe County Parks advisory board to fill vacancies and hold fall retreat; minutes approved","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",91000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5340751-425d19cb3385e5f27ecc81aa61678344&start=91&end=91","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5340751-425d19cb3385e5f27ecc81aa61678344/thumbnail_91000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6519965/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Buncombe-County-Parks-advisory-board-to-fill-vacancies-and-hold-fall-retreat-minutes-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6519965-9d38d176b32a8e61f4ab3da91b00f25c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182494&Signature=OknN1NAxSsAzcOIDRawB9kmF-b-psMps7RSOPdbVhxz4GvMRxUsxrBkahiTLK0X3xqsZGijRtWs1omPGh-Hq9Jf-xE3LRrB2if2jz6ByxiosalCE2309UaGjfYqFjQFEFNbi2Q4yjk-lUT-CeUMtvyuZ8o1sLBk64Ss1dVL3uRHEu2DCBu3o1FoLf6QPHSva~iCYNwEmQem8VGw62Kx8NBZFF7-62-PfxpJFH~~NviWr4I0eu4hzzc4AWMOTyJq7GK8WffSr6~YWnyoQIoI5shzc~lfjNXuPYDQVFZXJvincEcN1OAL-aQ9GaMof-hokD7yqaXn71HICozZa0VhApA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Buncombe County, NC","date","2025-07-09T14:11:52.197Z","article","At the July 8 meeting Allison Daines, Buncombe County parks director, updated the advisory board on recruitment, a planned fall retreat and the timeline for candidate recommendations.

Daines said a review committee will score vacancy applications with recommendations anticipated by July 31. She told the board: \"We then submit those for a request for board action on August 4, and then I believe it's somewhere in the August 15-ish range\" for a board meeting to consider appointments. The goal is to have a full advisory board in September and to hold an advisory-board retreat in the fall (previously scheduled for Oct. 3) to define a more active, project-focused role for the group.

Board business: the May 13, 2025 meeting minutes were moved and seconded for approval during the meeting and were approved by the advisory board. The meeting adjourned after the director closed business and requested a motion to adjourn.

Why this matters: filling vacancies and holding a retreat would restore the advisory board's full membership and signal a shift toward a more active, hands-on role in county parks projects.

Less critical details: outgoing member recognition took place; the board’s next meeting is scheduled for September at the Recreation Services office on Valley Street.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting: July 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The advisory board agreed to proceed with recruitment and a fall retreat to increase member engagement; the board approved prior meeting minutes and set a timeline for recommending new members.","taxTitle","Buncombe County, North Carolina","taxId",3914,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6519969,"Buncombe County parks begin phased reopenings; FEMA hazard-mitigation funds expected to cover storm repairs",320,1083745,1404034,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5340751-425d19cb3385e5f27ecc81aa61678344&start=1083&end=1404","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5340751-425d19cb3385e5f27ecc81aa61678344/thumbnail_1083745.jpg","/articles/6519969/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Buncombe-County-parks-begin-phased-reopenings-FEMA-hazard-mitigation-funds-expected-to-cover-storm-repairs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6519969-a643d6b4127a674dbff7a9175991c601/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182494&Signature=Rncc5b8gJz7hlfyOX-SVCwWXyzdpcSgihhwxEUOrDf4V-a4JfFVDqrZKAj~xiM5~vXDChIogyRYwOTH-JXz0Yq~tIBCmwH9oomUPfukpDGjYKYH1yJR0cTTSM7exqHI-uIE1RkII-s701ePXCaOR7FNmAVW4NSZwJwKke7BazltJud~7~GVJwPV3TbgBX62GN1rdd-5SnOLT23GzUFQip~H1YMHfube1nUwBIODIkbb5QqIQTuz8noXylv4HUAiZH9geLJWf3k~ALarxVYZpFIb~ABD1eOAcECWBk4XGubUvn48qX8GB4Eo0msHqbCpbCyMjdMUafnH66wMCJxdkfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Project manager Joseph Guzman told the advisory board on July 8 that several parks damaged by Hurricane Helene have reopened or are in active repair, while others need larger contracting work.

\"We're getting slowly but surely getting all the parks back open,\" Guzman said. He listed open and partially closed sites and said some locations — notably Alexander and Walnut parks — will require more extensive work and likely an RFQ process for design and construction.

Guzman said the county received 11 RFQ submissions for the Owen Park project and 9 submissions for Harmony River Park. On Owen Park the county has completed reviews and is in contract negotiations but cannot name a firm while negotiations continue. He also said the Boston County Sports Park phase 2 (the parks department’s sports-park expansion) will go to bid at the end of the month.

Allison Daines added that docks and other damage at Lake Julian are being addressed through FEMA hazard-mitigation funding, which aims to \"build back better.\" Daines said the county will replace older wood docks with floating \"easy docks\" that adjust to lake level and that many smaller amenity replacements (tables, benches, trash cans) have been purchased from hurricane-relief funds and submitted for reimbursement.

On FEMA funding, Daines said early park estimates are in the \"tens of millions\" but that complete totals are not yet finalized. She explained the reimbursement process: the county spends for planning and engineering milestones, then applies for reimbursement once those milestones are completed.

Other updates included new disc-golf signage at Lake Julian, replacement paddle boats, and continued work to clear debris; Guzman said some parks remain closed for regrowth and larger-scale restoration. The parks department is also writing hazard mitigation plans for each river park to match FEMA guidelines for what work will be funded.

Why this matters: the county anticipates major rebuilding and mitigation work paid in part by federal reimbursement and other grants. The outcome will affect access to river parks, sports fields and lake amenities for users across the county.

Less critical details: the parks department expects contracting and construction schedules to be affected by weather and by the pace of engineering approvals; staff vacancies have increased workloads while hiring proceeds.","Parks staff reported partial reopenings at several parks and ongoing procurement for larger rebuilds; county staff are writing hazard mitigation plans for FEMA to replace docks and other storm-damaged infrastructure.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6519974,"Buncombe County to rethink greenway alignments after Hurricane Helene",247,245000,492000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5340751-425d19cb3385e5f27ecc81aa61678344&start=245&end=492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5340751-425d19cb3385e5f27ecc81aa61678344/thumbnail_245000.jpg","/articles/6519974/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Buncombe-County-to-rethink-greenway-alignments-after-Hurricane-Helene","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6519974-3870afa652715da948e867a49ba8f5a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182494&Signature=V-ZW4sTRzBOM8LMllyhoePrL6YnsWrk3fwKGaGEwN5pAzb2QyY8nolR4tDOw~sYF5HolBCs~MWSnku0Ubu-NqqogUIKG2FIWoWEnFIW0STM5189IFBv~QWYgde3vr24TFyoFUC5gtqmp3F5IoK2v9gnXDACHCR6VvUKr4MeyB~chAY8OLh2RIcX5o414VV72uKvZ70dMJEWB7FbKhQiWGH1py2Cz4nktf-mbUDb0d~czdg~NGo7hyUJBig1mnhMim6KCgvbyF-z27RESrP6GCCH3sYU41o~ZY5YdBagbJ-kImecD9t~iB7jBw~BU-kvh54eew-Y4MGhvcKxJu7juPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Allison Daines, Buncombe County parks director, told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on July 8 that hurricane damage has forced a re-evaluation of several planned greenway projects and will delay construction timelines.

\"We have 3 Greenway projects. 2 of them are part of the Woodfin Greenway. 1 is the Highway 251 section of Greenway,\" Daines said, adding that consultants were asked to submit new scopes of work after flooding altered alignments. She said the Highway 251 segment's revised scope has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Transportation but that additional county funding will likely be needed for work beyond the original plans.

The board was told that the Beaver Dam Creek section remains suspended while the county awaits NCDOT approval of a new scope of work. Daines said negotiations are also continuing with landowners along the Anka Heritage Trail alignment; some parcels originally expected for the trail are now being reconsidered by their owners.

Daines described how riparian-buffer recommendations are reshaping alignments: \"greenway...the requirement for any kind of leeway in between a greenway is typically like 10 feet. ... We're having negotiations where the riparian area needs to be more like 30 feet, which will significantly change any alignment for a greenway.\" She said areas farther from the water held up better during floods and that the county and partners such as RiverLink are seeking a balance between environmental protection and creating connections.

On estimated costs, Daines said the Highway 251 section had been estimated at about $4,500,000 and that the county typically contributes a 20% match; bond funds had been designated earlier to complete the budget based on prior engineering. She stressed that federal and state funding for locally administered NCDOT projects is milestone‑based and reimbursable: \"The way that it works is we're given X amount of dollars per milestone... the very first large amount of money that gets spent on any Greenway project is...engineering and design.\"

The advisory board heard a tentative timeline: consultants hope to reach construction within roughly two years on Highway 251 if new engineering and right-of-way negotiations proceed, but Daines cautioned that the new alignments and added environmental work have put the projects back at least a couple of years.

Why this matters: the county’s greenways are regional connectors for recreation and mobility, and alignment changes or additional bridges and environmental work can raise costs and push back construction. The board will continue to receive updates as consultants finalize engineering and as the county clarifies funding options.

Less critical details: Daines said county staff are coordinating with RiverLink and other partners on design and buffers; she noted that the NCDOT will not provide extra funds beyond its approved scope and that any county-incurred additional work will require local funding decisions.","Buncombe County parks staff told the July 8 advisory board that three greenway projects — including the Highway 251 segment tied to the Woodfin Greenway — need new engineering and may require additional county funding after storm damage and changed riparian-buffer recommendations.","actionData","errors"]

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Buncombe County Parks advisory board to fill vacancies and hold fall retreat; minutes approved

Buncombe County parks begin phased reopenings; FEMA hazard-mitigation funds expected to cover storm repairs

Buncombe County to rethink greenway alignments after Hurricane Helene