Asheville staff seek temporary license with Highland Brewing to restore access to Gaseous Creek Road

Assistant City Manager Ben Woody told the council that staff will present a consent item at the Jan. 14 business meeting proposing a temporary license agreement with Highland Brewing to restore access to Gaseous Creek Road.

The agreement would permit travel through Highland Brewing’s parking lot as a short-term route after “a failure of the Azalea Road bridge as well as an associated washout” made the usual access to Gaseous Creek and the Nature Center impassable, Woody said.

Woody said the proposed license payment is $62,500 per month. He said the amount was negotiated to “cover temporary improvements that were needed for the roadway as well as the value of the business interruption” and to account for repair and replacement needs due to increased wear and tear on the brewery property from construction equipment and contractor vehicles.

The staff presentation labeled the arrangement a temporary solution intended to provide access for residents and visitors until permanent repairs to the Azalea Road bridge and roadway can be completed. Woody emphasized that the route passes through the Highland Brewing parking lot and therefore requires a formal agreement.

The item was described as part of the consent agenda for the Jan. 14 council meeting; no formal vote or signature was recorded in the briefing session. The staff report and the full proposed license agreement will be presented at the public business meeting for council action.