Buncombe County moves to buy 324‑acre Deeper View Mountain for new passive recreation park

Buncombe County plans to purchase the 324‑acre Deeper View Mountain tract west of West Asheville and convert most of it to a passive‑recreation county park, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy representative Michelle Pugliese told the Land Conservation Advisory Board on Thursday. "We are very close to closing on this property," Pugliese said, adding that the county expects a simultaneous closing and recording of a conservation easement and a declaration of covenants and restrictions.

The property contains two scenic overlooks, an existing network of trails and at least 12 headwater tributaries, Pugliese said; Smith Mill Creek on the site is designated as an impaired stream by the state. Under the funding terms, the North Carolina Land and Water Fund requires a conservation easement over the undisturbed portion of the land, while a roughly 27‑acre area will be subject to a declaration of covenants and restrictions (DCR) where limited park infrastructure — parking, a maintenance building and small picnic or rest facilities — may be located.

Pugliese said a conservation buyer purchased the land in 2023 for about $7.4 million and that Buncombe County’s purchase price to acquire the property will be "just over $8,000,000." Funding to cover the transaction will include the state Land and Water Fund and federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) funds administered through the National Park Service; Pugliese said the ORLP funding includes a requirement that the park be opened to the public within a specified timeframe. County bond funds previously set aside for passive‑recreation projects include roughly $7.5 million for park development and a county contribution of about $1,000,000 toward acquisition was contemplated earlier in the transaction timeline.

Pugliese said the state will hold the conservation easement and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will serve as the easement monitor, conducting at least annual visits. She described the project as "passive recreation" — hiking, biking, environmental education and photography — and said park managers expect to limit clearing and to avoid ball fields or intensive development.

Board members pressed staff on opening timelines and standards. One member warned that state trail standards and commercial septic requirements can dramatically increase costs and delay public access; county staff and another speaker said county projects do not necessarily have to meet state park construction standards and suggested a phased opening could allow parts of the park to be accessible sooner. Pugliese and county staff emphasized that design and construction would be informed by a consultant‑led master plan and that the county will release a request for qualifications (RFQ) to select a planning and design team once the acquisition is complete.

Parks department capacity and competing recovery work after recent storm damage were cited as practical constraints; staff asked for patience while the county completes due diligence, recording and then public engagement and planning. The county and conservation partners said they will pursue additional grants for long‑term management and invasive species control.

The board did not take formal action on the acquisition at the meeting; Pugliese said closing is expected next month. After closing, staff said the county will begin the RFQ process, select a planning team, and hold public engagement to develop a master plan that balances public access with protection of the site’s ecological resources.