Asheville reviews Phase 1 public feedback for Azalea and French Broad riverfront park recoveries

Parks and Recreation Director D Tyrell McGirt told the Asheville City Council on Jan. 13 that Phase 1 public engagement for Azalea-area and French Broad riverfront recovery projects produced more than 2,300 survey responses and an in-person open house at Asheville Middle School attended by over 200 residents and business stakeholders. McGirt said the infrastructure recovery board used the engagement results to identify top priorities and asked council to weigh in on the board’s top three themes.

McGirt said the infrastructure recovery board’s priorities for the Azalea parks area are flood resilience as a design standard, pedestrian safety and multimodal access, and alternative sports and lifestyle activities coupled with nature-first trails and connectivity. For French Broad riverfront parks, the board prioritized multimodal transportation, river access to support an outdoor economy, and reforesting and riparian health of riverbanks. McGirt noted consultants are also pulling from existing city plans, including CDBG-DR-related plans, to supplement Phase 1 feedback.

Councilmembers asked several questions about data gaps and interim needs. One councilmember raised that official flood maps are not yet available and asked what staff are using to guide resilience planning and whether interim crossings or pedestrian safety work near the Amboy Bridge/Employer Road can be expedited. McGirt said consultants are aware of mapping limitations and staff are coordinating with N.C. Department of Transportation and other partners about interim fixes while designs proceed.

Funding timing came up repeatedly. Mayor (unnamed) said Senator Budd’s office recently notified the city of about $7,500,000 in federal clearances spread across three projects; staff cautioned that FEMA PA (public assistance) funds, HMGP (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program) dollars and other federal grants have different timelines and that unclear sequencing could complicate design and construction schedules. “We know it’s gonna take several years to build back,” McGirt said, urging a phased approach to reopen park elements sooner rather than waiting for full reconstruction.

Councilmembers emphasized equity in engagement: McGirt reported that about 21.43% of survey respondents supplied demographic details (reported in the presentation as “21, 43%”) and acknowledged underrepresentation of BIPOC residents, lower-income households and young adults. Staff described outreach methods used in Phase 1 — an open house, pop-up events in parks and public housing, focus groups and an online survey from Nov. 24 through Dec. 19 — and said additional targeted engagement is planned to better capture those voices.

Next steps staff described: the infrastructure recovery board will evaluate funding options in February; consultants’ design products will be reviewed by the board and returned to council in March; and staff expect to present a consolidated, phased plan to the board in May. Staff also signaled they will include contingency planning for cost escalation and will try to align PA and HMGP programming where feasible.

The work session did not include a vote on any project-specific funding or design decisions. Staff will return with more detailed design and funding scenarios later this spring.