Buncombe County details phased plan to acquire Deaverview Mountain parkland

Buncombe County Parks & Recreation presented a plan at the Nov. 11 budget retreat to acquire and develop Deaverview Mountain as a county park, a multi-year project county staff say will significantly expand public access to nearby underserved neighborhoods.

Joseph Guzman, project manager for Parks & Recreation, described current county park acreage (~584 acres) and said Deaverview Mountain (342 acres) would raise total parkland to about 926 acres and add a large destination park. Guzman said the department will phase work over five years, focusing first on access and safety: an acquisition target of March 2026, an 8–12 month planning process, construction starting in December 2026 and a phased opening aimed at December 2028 (worst-case April 2029). “We will want to get it online safely and quickly, but not by taking anything away from the safety of the community,” he said.

Parks staff said the project will require new operational staff (day-to-day park operations and a landscaping/trail crew) and rely on volunteer organizations for trail maintenance while using paid crews to coordinate and fill gaps. Because the land is under a conservation easement, Guzman said early planning must respect easement constraints and include tree and forestry risk assessments carried out after Tropical Storm Helene. Staff said they are coordinating with regional partners (Southern Appalachian and state parks) on master-plan best practices and will examine phased openings to provide earlier public access to lower-impact sections.

Commissioners asked about volunteer involvement, staffing and operational costs; Guzman said staff will return with more detailed estimates and that phased requests will be prioritized across budget years.