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County outlines CDBG‑DR commercial‑district concepts, schedules public hearings for May and July
Summary
County staff previewed CDBG‑DR competitive concepts for commercial‑district revitalization — including Swannanoa pedestrian improvements, remediation of storm‑damaged commercial properties, HMGP property activation, and streambank stabilization — and said two public hearings and a public comment period will be scheduled to meet application requirements.
Tyler Henry (Office of Strategy & Innovation) briefed the board on the county’s early planning for Commercial District Revitalization under the state’s CDBG‑DR program. North Carolina’s allocation includes multiple competitive programs; staff said the statewide pot is roughly $111 million with about $40 million available in the first round and a $10 million maximum per project.
Henry said eligible projects must tie to Tropical Storm Helen impacts and meet federal national objectives. Proposed concepts now at pre‑screening include activating properties acquired through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) with community uses; sidewalk and pedestrian upgrades along the Highway 70 (Swannanoa) corridor to improve connectivity to businesses; remediation and debris removal for storm‑damaged commercial properties; and streambank stabilization projects that combine mitigation with protection for adjacent commercial corridors.
Henry said the application window is tight and the county must progress from concept to full application while meeting public‑engagement requirements. He announced plans for two tentative public hearings (one in May and one in July) and a public‑comment period in between; all proposals will be refined through community input and alignment with existing plans such as the Swannanoa small‑area plan.
Commissioners suggested prioritizing projects that assist particularly hard‑hit areas (Barnardsville was named several times) and emphasized leveraging work already underway rather than creating new initiatives. Henry said the remediation concept could be applied countywide, with Swannanoa and Barnardsville as priority examples.
Next steps: staff will hold the public hearings and refine application materials for state competitive review; commissioners encouraged targeted community outreach in heavily impacted corridors.
