ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County has the mountain. Now commissioners are being asked to approve the plan for figuring out what comes next.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will consider a nearly $1.4 million contract Tuesday to begin planning what Deaverview Mountain could look like as a public park — from trails and parking to scenic overlooks, restrooms and the road that will eventually lead visitors up the mountain.
The county closed on the 342-acre property in March, completing a yearslong effort to preserve the mountain from development and eventually open it to the public.
Deaverview includes a 3,118-foot peak, sweeping views of the French Broad River Valley and numerous headwater streams. The property remains closed while the county works through the planning and infrastructure needed to make it accessible.
The proposed contract with Equinox Environmental is divided into two phases. The first, costing $487,469.50, would produce the master plan. The second, at $852,045.90, would cover engineering for the property’s driveway access, parking and trails. Together, the two phases total $1,392,190.
The work will include community outreach, an environmental review, a survey of the property and an assessment of existing trails. The plan also will look at amenities such as restrooms and overlooks, as well as the property’s main access, parking and trail system.
The eventual park is expected to focus on passive recreation, with hiking, wildlife viewing, mountain biking and scenic overlooks among the possibilities being considered. The county also will have to address invasive species, protect the property’s primary viewshed and preserve 319 acres through a conservation easement.
Community engagement is expected to begin this fall. The county’s current schedule calls for the master plan to be completed in summer 2027, with engineering and design work continuing through 2027.
The timeline matters because the grants used to acquire the property require it to be opened to the public within three years of the 2026 acquisition. That puts the target for public access in 2029.
The purchase was funded primarily through grants, including an Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant and North Carolina Land and Water Fund money. The county also has set aside $7.7 million in Open Space Bond funds for the Deaverview project.
Conservation easements
Deaverview isn’t the only conservation work on Tuesday’s agenda.
Commissioners also will consider $311,300 from the county’s FY27 budget and $2.288 million in Open Space Bond money for conservation easements.
The request includes four properties in the Leicester/Newfound area totaling about 170 acres, along with an 80-acre expansion of the Camp Sequoyah conservation easement near Weaverville.
The properties include working farms and North Carolina Century Farms, with some containing significant amounts of prime agricultural soil and important viewsheds and waterways.
The Camp Sequoyah expansion would add 80 acres to an existing 37-acre conservation easement. The county would use $288,000 in Open Space Bond money toward the easement purchase, along with $63,500 for transaction costs.
The county also plans to seek another $2 million Agricultural Growth Zone grant from the state. If awarded, it would require a $2 million match from the Open Space Bond.
Affordable housing update
Commissioners will also get an update on affordable housing projects seeking Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery money.
One of the biggest unresolved projects is the proposed 203-unit development at 50 Coxe Avenue.
The project did not receive the LIHTC or CDBG-DR funding it sought and now has an estimated $15 million funding gap. Buncombe County and Harmony Housing are looking at other funding sources and ways to reduce the gap, while Harmony prepares to pursue another 4 percent LIHTC application.
Mountain Mobility funding
The board also will hold a public hearing on Buncombe County’s application for about $1.17 million in FY28 Section 5311 funding for Mountain Mobility.
The application includes $937,739 in federal funding, $96,939 from the state and a $137,497 local match. The money would support administration and vehicle purchases, including several lift-equipped vans and a 25-foot light transit vehicle.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 200 College St. in Asheville. Public comment is scheduled at the beginning of the meeting.
