BUNCOMBE COUNTY — Buncombe County staff told the committee that the county faces widespread post‑storm landslides and is piloting a federally‑aligned program to study and, where feasible, stabilize the worst‑affected slopes.

Bernad Walls of the county’s strategy and innovation team said maps from the U.S. Geological Survey overlaid with county parcel data identified roughly 2,000 landslides statewide and about 1,000 inside Buncombe County. Using those data, staff identified 55 slides that affected two or more parcels; of those, 25 meet FEMA’s preliminary criteria for funding an architectural and engineering (A&E) study to measure imminent risk and estimate stabilization costs.

The county said it is treating Grovemont as a test case. Staff reported they are near finalizing a contract for an A&E study for Grovemont and that North Carolina Emergency Management agreed to advance 75% of the A&E cost upon contract execution, removing a major cash‑flow barrier that would have prevented the county from starting site work. Staff said four firms responded to the Broadmont (Grovemont) RFQ and the county will consolidate remaining slides into geographic groupings when issuing additional RFQs to avoid hundreds of separate solicitations.

County staff warned of large potential costs: preliminary FEMA‑side A&E estimates for several of the eligible slides approach $10,000,000 each, and stabilization could be significantly higher depending on geotechnical findings and FEMA benefit‑cost determinations. Staff emphasized that “no two slides are the same,” and stabilization methods can range from soil anchors and retaining walls to riprap and gabions depending on site geology.

Committee members asked about homeowner liability, disclosure to buyers and renters, and whether the county can create a landslide disclosure similar to flood disclosure regimes. Staff said legal and ordinance work is needed before placing mandatory disclosure requirements and that county staff will bring ordinance/comp plan discussions to a future meeting.

Staff described three categories for response: county‑owned property (FEMA public assistance), single‑parcel homeowner impacts (state hazard mitigation channels), and larger multi‑parcel slides (the current pilot focus). They said FEMA’s preliminary screening and county mapping together inform which slides proceed to the A&E stage.

The county said Grovemont’s contract should be ready for a December 2 internal approval step and additional RFQs for other priority slides will follow, targeting vendor selection in mid‑January. Staff said the program is unprecedented at the county level and could provide a template for other jurisdictions if the pilot succeeds.

The committee was not asked to authorize stabilization spending today; the briefing focused on data, procurement steps, and risk management. Staff said next steps include finalizing the Grovemont contract, issuing RFQs grouped by geography, pursuing FEMA and state funding pathways, and bringing legal/ordinance questions back to the committee in January.