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Buncombe commissioners approve sending letter to UNC Asheville on Millennium Campus pause
Summary
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners agreed by consensus to direct county staff to send a letter to UNC Asheville Chancellor Van Norte expressing county values and requesting continued local partnership and a commissioners’ appointment to the campus commission following the university's announced pause on the Millennium Campus project.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners agreed by consensus to direct the clerk to send a letter to UNC Asheville Chancellor Van Norte asking the university to partner with local government as plans for the university's Millennium Campus move forward.
The letter, drafted after community advocacy from the UNC Asheville Save the Woods group, states the board's values tied to the county comprehensive plan and ecological stability and requests that a member of the Board of Commissioners be appointed to the commission overseeing the campus planning. Commissioners said they support UNC Asheville's long-term success and welcome collaboration while urging the university to consider community concerns as the pause on the Millennium Campus was announced.
Commissioners Ball, Sloan and Wells described their involvement in shaping the letter. Ball said the language is the product of an iterative process and emphasized the importance of stating county values while also supporting UNC Asheville. Sloan said the county appreciates the university pausing the work to ensure broader community input and commended the chancellor for meeting with county and city representatives. Commissioners reiterated support both for the university and for community voices that raised concerns.
The board discussed that local government had been excluded from some decisions at the state level and that, in the letter's final statement, they request appointment of a commissioner to the university commission. The clerk was directed to move forward with sending the letter by full consensus.
The county asked the university to continue engagement and to consider county comprehensive-plan objectives and ecological stability in further campus planning. The commissioners said they are available to work with UNCA on next steps and to help find a collaborative path forward.
No formal vote was recorded in the transcript; the clerk was directed to proceed by consensus.
