[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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],{"_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",6517771,"mediaKeyId","5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57","parentId",5402548,"title","Buncombe commissioners approve block grant resolution, landfill contract and add support letter for Healthy Opportunities","audioSeconds",1832,"startMs",4922000,"endMs",3090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57&start=4922&end=3090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57/thumbnail_4922000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6517771/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Buncombe-commissioners-approve-block-grant-resolution-landfill-contract-and-add-support-letter-for-Healthy-Opportunities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517771-37063432b5c6e0afb229558084d5d55e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160674&Signature=V8tHfh8C3H08lSuVyVwaVO3dpr2QDuQrbiziDvhyIXXSFuZFENhieWGqT2HNe30ZtQGxerS6zNZd8Bd1myiPqr08t5FtyOEx-qcbeInPjuwxJDs9wFw6QyYN8cePf6LIqhsiWIz~ZwqKilhZwkqTam4tG9MI0xEqvIaEZ9QOyy3LQa7kuJrGx0lPFM8z5CPLsapGtZSVeptRV0x5YDHO9xPYnlxs8zh-Z5gSgTi8zFawW-wgO~uvDRQPNNVyENXxJvethhdgpPM3-mBZENa8VQP98iKRbTCm41S058MPUFPA0W1WA9a3oiETx2t8~6uNtqTb~xcR4Q5wE881g2hX5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Buncombe County, NC","date","2025-07-16T00:16:24Z","article","The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners took several formal actions at its July 15 meeting.

Key votes and formal actions

- Home and Community Care Block Grant resolution: The board adopted a resolution to accept and implement recommendations from the Home and Community Care Block Grant steering and advisory committees and to designate Buncombe County as lead agency for the federal block grant. The allocation recommendations followed the committee process; the motion to adopt the resolution was seconded and passed unanimously.

- Construction & Demolition landfill Phase 8 contract: The board authorized execution of a construction contract with Buchanan and Sons Inc. for the Phase 8 expansion of the county’s C&D landfill. The low bid of $2,093,015.93 was recommended. County staff said Phase 8 will cover about 4.7 acres, is planned to begin construction in August 2025, has an estimated seven-month construction schedule and is expected to provide 5–6 years of disposal capacity. Commissioners voted to adopt the resolution authorizing the contract; the motion passed unanimously.

- Healthy Opportunities letter of support: Commissioners approved adding a letter of support for the Healthy Opportunities program to new business earlier in the meeting, then later voted to approve and send the letter to state legislators. The board’s action was unanimous. County staff and commissioners said the program supports food access, housing, transportation and other interventions; local participants said the program directly represents more than $21 million in outlays in Buncombe County and that farm purchases and service provision tie to dozens of local farms and hundreds of jobs.

- Consent agenda and proclamations: The board approved the consent agenda items as presented. Separately, commissioners agreed to move two proclamations (July as Independent Retailer Month and July as Parks and Recreation Month in Buncombe County) to immediately before public comment so those present could receive them; the proclamations were read and accepted.

- Swannanoa steering committee appointments: The board reappointed two members to the Swannanoa steering committee and set a schedule for committee interviews and appointment decisions; commission staff will conduct interviews August 5 and commissioners were asked to submit candidate rankings to the clerk.

The meeting record shows these motions were presented, seconded and approved; roll-call tallies were recorded as unanimous where noted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on July 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners at its July 15 meeting approved a Home and Community Care Block Grant resolution, authorized a $2.09 million contract for the Phase 8 expansion of the county’s construction-and-demolition landfill and approved a letter supporting the Healthy Opportunities program.","taxTitle","Buncombe County, North Carolina","taxId",3914,"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},6517775,"Residents, faculty and students urge Buncombe County commissioners to oppose UNC Asheville stadium plan",2806,675000,3481000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57&start=675&end=3481","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57/thumbnail_675000.jpg","/articles/6517775/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Residents-faculty-and-students-urge-Buncombe-County-commissioners-to-oppose-UNC-Asheville-stadium-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517775-efd209da6b986fa5332b58a7ef2e2cb0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160674&Signature=FtoBWbrt5EhUpQS5poEx7arn3XXa~qjtwNw2OhuwOr59GznztM-XavP8ip8Fx1UyB9SwgZZJ6khwjpgjXQI3WlX11KgGOZTk0zPlPpm2Gp3pvksGQ2v8X-6kUhDk4SvW3yiLgvSrwxTxYJiuphdMoxryGg3ueRF24Jb3766JU0uVgKrbRzFvT8R19D8~M23tca8HQWRug1Jv-CjFiPb-s9qEvKw5F63Lsxb4dow3M7hRHst1jl8zF44jwW1O2WM98ELJVyJCao-xSjhsEpsSS1ATknE58GRUXrFGpiYdk0rXUFsLmwaOcXvymJmUDXPt4n~trKnr6uhqtTd~-WlhPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents, faculty members and students pressed the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on July 15 to oppose a proposed development that would replace the woods adjacent to the University of North Carolina Asheville with a 5,000-seat stadium, retail and market-rate housing.

Speakers told the board the university moved the project forward without public engagement and urged county leaders to signal opposition or support alternatives such as a land swap, conservancy or public forest. \"By all appearances, a decision was made about what they wanted to do no later than November,\" said Woody Davis, a 5 Points neighborhood resident, describing what he called an opaque process and asserting the university had been \"evasive, opaque, and just plain dishonest.\"

The request for a resolution opposing the project was grounded in several lines of concern: environmental services provided by the urban forest, loss of an outdoor classroom used by UNCA faculty and students, neighborhood quality-of-life impacts and the use of public funds.

Jonathan Horton, chair of the UNCA biology department, described the woods as an active research and teaching resource. He said the area had been used for course-based research experiences, grant-funded student research and long-term ecosystem monitoring. Horton said the roughly 45-acre forest previously had about 91% canopy cover and an estimated 20,000 trees, and that those trees stored more than 3,500 tons of carbon. \"If cut, most of the stored carbon would return to the atmosphere,\" Horton said, adding that the forest sequestered an estimated 75 tons of carbon per year and helped absorb runoff the community experienced during Tropical Storm Helene.

Speakers also raised economic and public-finance questions. Chris Gauteta, president of the 5 Points Neighborhood Association, noted UNCA had asked for $29 million in public funding and said the university had not provided details supporting a claim of $250 million in projected economic activity. A student speaker, Matthew Zimmerman, and others said the proposal had unified students and neighbors in opposition.

Residents emphasized quality-of-life concerns including night lighting, noise, parking and traffic. Psychologist Dr. Sandy Newis described the woods’ benefits for mental health and said a stadium would bring light and noise that would affect nearby homes. Several speakers proposed adaptive alternatives that would preserve the forest while creating educational and economic opportunities, such as a restored urban forest, donor-supported conservation programming, or siting stadium and housing elsewhere on campus.

Speakers named local entities and studies to support their arguments, including comparisons to McCormick Field renovations and economic analyses that question stadium subsidies. Several described damaged but recoverable areas after Helene and urged active forest management, invasive species removal and community-based restoration.

Commissioners listened during the public-comment period but did not vote on a resolution at the July 15 meeting. Multiple speakers asked the board to consider adopting a formal statement opposing the development and to press state decision-makers to evaluate alternatives.

The public comment period on this item ran across multiple speaker turns beginning with Woody Davis and continuing through remarks by faculty, neighborhood leaders, students and conservation activists. Many called for county engagement despite acknowledging the university owns the land and that some decisions fall under state authority.

The board did not take formal action on the UNCA proposal during the meeting; speakers requested commissioners consider a resolution and other advocacy steps in subsequent communications or meetings.

Ending

Speakers concluded by asking the commission to press for alternatives that preserve the urban forest and to coordinate with city and state officials. Commissioners thanked the public for comments and moved on to other agenda items.","More than a dozen residents, UNCA faculty and students urged the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners to oppose a proposed stadium, retail and market-rate housing plan for the wooded area adjacent to the University of North Carolina Asheville, citing environmental, educational and neighborhood impacts.",{"_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},6517760,"Board schedules Swannanoa steering committee interviews, reappoints two members",231,3268000,3499000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57&start=3268&end=3499","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57/thumbnail_3268000.jpg","/articles/6517760/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Board-schedules-Swannanoa-steering-committee-interviews-reappoints-two-members","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517760-79c05b2d607121bc5088838eaedcbef0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160674&Signature=mxet500M9Nq2agc~cp903DAKZM06~duZ1KxT8jqV0iKNxZwxYEd7ubqjD7VvM9MC9yg3rp5rBLOvHEOz2irE1C0FRFV4wDgB-zPvH6LuvG7OxCgnrKLjP7DhoOLwpmkpT~rX8blegWK8NWNjLT-LgwxMYT~I1sPdCylT06KNpsn7d-Z2QU9VBTB8FXP-Kh0-a0CAEE8M0C-H4Gj0a2SXVK9ZSr2bj8Nm8EE0LAJhHgSWQAKueG6QrQbmJkYHmm1A2yHDkvlGTrh14WBhDSqnb6PZj2Rc0~IqAq1O-rkLJ3SkzzycBVZLFBo0XNYpMiufmkujznqCn8bu0ZP0s~kljg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The board received an update and set a schedule for appointing members to the Swannanoa steering committee.

Planning staff reported they received about 45 applications to fill 11–15 seats and recommended 13 candidates. Commissioners were asked to send their top five candidate picks to the deputy clerk; the clerk will arrange 18 interviews on the morning of Aug. 5. The board also reappointed two current members and asked staff to return with final appointment recommendations after the Aug. 5 interviews.

Ending

Commissioners and staff noted the Aug. 5 schedule and asked that candidate lists and interview logistics be posted to the clerk’s office; the board will finalize appointments at the August meeting.","The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners set interviews for Aug. 5 and reappointed two steering-committee members for the Swannanoa planning process; staff will collect commissioner candidate rankings and present appointment recommendations after interviews.",{"_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},6517765,"County reopens homeowner grant applications; staff outline eligibility, budgets and outreach plans",190,3582000,3772000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57&start=3582&end=3772","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402548-31e073e5a961d7d7f10f55bf068a2d57/thumbnail_3582000.jpg","/articles/6517765/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/County-reopens-homeowner-grant-applications-staff-outline-eligibility-budgets-and-outreach-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517765-b4d09943c2824d4dfd968efac19c9587/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160674&Signature=gy15H~NT4KDShu7f2HB3AFDkI6NwnYJRwot4pimDpofJo6csnIllohmMUldTbFBafNCPMNgTrLTC4kQ~wxDxXHfOhGLuIcalfdaENkrUB-wfTitdc9OpTuThMTokotIXIQAOubUhpuGCC4jqd23yTbXvGO4G9h-gpOakXvC1MM77ANoOcL97Gas4FujJxpR6L-MqAdRgxmS8RaUILXdQQ5HeKFoz34VuD81H1zNejTkJQ2xMYQPas10njMTld-HECqaSIC2oupv8n1KOO2BYRvE~htZsT9cYH-1JN3LqOb2Z6rWY31OBRupneTXHrt4Fq9tvRpybIP6aBm0dbu270A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Philip Harden, project manager with Buncombe County Health & Human Services, told the board on July 15 that the homeowner grant application period opened that day and reviewed program history and policy details.

Staff reported historical application counts: about 1,200 approved applications in FY22, roughly 700 in subsequent years, and an increase last year when staff processed nearly 600 additional applications in the week after Tropical Storm Helene. Harden said the county received 72 applications on the first open day of this year.

Harden reviewed demographic reporting changes: race/ethnicity reporting is now a required field (applicants may still select \"prefer not to report\") to improve demographic data. He reiterated program eligibility highlights: maximum household income up to 80% of area median income (AMI), primary residence occupancy requirement of 12 months, five-year homeownership requirement, limits on participating if receiving certain state tax exemptions and other administrative rules. Staff noted those eligibility conditions are administrative policy choices rather than statutory requirements.

Budget figures and participation

Harden said the county budget for the homeowner grant this year includes $155,000 in county dollars; last year Buncombe County spent roughly $252,000 in county funds, and the City of Asheville reduced its contribution from $150,000 to $75,000 for the current year. Harden said the program is administered as a Health & Human Services assistance program rather than a tax-exemption program, which governs how the county may structure eligibility and outreach.

Commissioners asked about outreach and verification burdens. Board members suggested restoring mailed flyers in tax bills (staff said a tax-bill insert was not feasible this year because of a reevaluation timeline) and using provider networks and the county’s partner coordinating groups to distribute flyers to reach eligible residents. Commissioners also asked staff to return with additional policy options to reduce administrative burden and to evaluate whether some verification steps (for example, excluding individuals already receiving state tax exemptions) should be changed.

Ending

Staff said they will follow up with commissioners on questions about the five-year ownership rule, state tax-exemption interaction and outreach alternatives; staff will bring policy-change proposals to the board if requested.","Buncombe County Health & Human Services opened the homeowner grant applications and staff reviewed program history, demographic reporting changes and current budgets; commissioners asked for follow-up on outreach and policy details.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Buncombe commissioners approve block grant resolution, landfill contract and add support letter for Healthy Opportunities

Residents, faculty and students urge Buncombe County commissioners to oppose UNC Asheville stadium plan

Board schedules Swannanoa steering committee interviews, reappoints two members

County reopens homeowner grant applications; staff outline eligibility, budgets and outreach plans