From Staff Reports

An agreement was reached between UNC Asheville and the North Carolina Department of Insurance, allowing The Woods, five newly constructed UNCA dorms that were deemed by the agency as uninhabitable on late Aug. 16, to reopen late night Aug. 17.

The agreement includes parking for NCDOI’s own designated fire truck and dorm room for four firefighters to bunk with students free of charge.

UNC Asheville Chancellor Nancy J. Cable announced in a news release sent around 10:30 p.m. Aug. 17 that UNCA had reached an agreement with the NCDOI after the latter’s suddenly ordered closure of the dorms just as students were moving in on Aug. 16, citing safety concerns.

The NCDOI detailed concerns that included potentially blocked stairwells that would be needed in the case of a fire, wood construction as part of firewalls and attic space lacking sprinklers. 

About 300 upperclassmen were signed up to live in the new facility before classes began Aug. 20. Dozens of students already had arrived on campus or moved into the dorms by the time the NCDOI released its ruling, Cable said, and many spent the night in hotels as officials worked to resolve the issue.