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Tuesday, 23 January 2007 17:00 |
By DAVID FORBES
WEAVERVILLE ÇƒÓ Weaverville Town Council on Monday night unanimously approved the voluntary annexation of 86 acres at the proposed site of the controversial Northridge Commons retail development project, which officials expect to boost significantly the townës tax base and provide services for residents in the soon-to-be-developed area.
In addition, council is considering providing funds to help relocate the 40 families living at Mountain Terrace Mobile Home Park, who will be displaced by the project.
"I
think weëve heard a lot of good reasons why we need to move forward on
this annexation," Councilwoman Marcie Nisbeth said. "We do need to keep
an eye on some of the issues ÇƒÓ like traffic ÇƒÓ here, but we need to get
services to those families in that trailer park. Thatës a very good
reason to move forward."
The annexation,
effective Jan. 31, will provide the affected residents with town
services, such as trash pickup and police protection.
At a public
hearing prior to the council meeting, several residents spoke in
support of the move, including some of the mobile home park residents.
However,
Weaverville resident Darcy Willis urged council to take a cautious
approach moving forward because of concerns about traffic.
Prior to casting
his vote, Al Root, the only councilman to oppose the original approval
of Northridge Commons more than a year ago, said, "I do have some
concerns, but none that are a good enough reason to delay this move."
Northridge
Commons, which will include a Wal-Mart Supercenter and a Loweës home
improvement store, has inspired some controversy since first proposed
over a year ago, with its opponents asserting that at 86 acres, it is
too large for Weaverville. Its proponents, meanwhile, counter that it
will bring needed jobs to the town.
Later, council
heard pleas from a group of local citizens to consider taking a
hands-on approach in helping to move the parkës inhabitants.
"We became
involved in this project because we realized that about 40 families
were going to have to move their homes because of this," Karen Hedburg,
speaking for Weaverville First, a local group that has formed around
the issue, said. "Many of these residents are low-income families and
every one of them has a hardship. It can cost them anywhere between
three and seven thousand dollars."
The group seeks
to raise $250,000, the estimated amount required to move all the
residents of the mobile home park, by May 28 to make way for the
development. The parkës residents received notices Nov. 28, giving them
180 days to "vacate and remove" their homes from the site.
So far, Hedburg
said, they have gained pledges from several people and businesses in
the community, including Steve Vermillion, the spokesman for the
Charlotte-based developer Harris, Murr & Vermillion, responsible
for Northridge Commons and Loweës, which pledged $10,000.
"We know there
are not obvious solutions, but weëre coming to you and weëre coming to
Buncombe County (Board of Commissioners) in the hope that youëll join
us in finding solutions," Hedburg said. "We have information that all
of the units are movable, but there are still a lot of difficulties
that remain."
The Affordable
Housing Coalition, an Asheville-based nonprofit, will be overseeing the
receipt and distribution of the funds, a process Hedburg said would be
strictly monitored.
So far,
Weaverville First claims to have received pledges of $57,000 to its
fund. The group is still targeting Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in
the project, to donate.
Later, Jill Pottman, also a member of Weaverville First, said that the funds will only go to those who need them.
"Weëre not just
going to be handing out checks," Pottman said. "Some of the residents
just need a small amount, some need a large amount. Weëre going to have
an application process. Weëre going to be writing checks to contractors
and movers. This isnët just a handout. Nobodyës ever done this before."
Councilman Don
Hallingse, who has donated $1,000 to the group on behalf of his
company, said he has been impressed by the groupës efforts ÇƒÓ and by the
spirit of the occupants of the park.
"Iëve gone to
three of their (Weaverville Firstës meetings) and theyëve done an
absolutely fantastic job with this effort," Hallingse said. "Theyëve
done a lot of work and put in countless hours. The residents of
Mountain Terrace have also amazed me. These are some can-do people and
theyëre just really amazing."
Meanwhile, Hedburg warned that the groupës concerns do not end with Northridge Commons.
"Youëre going to
see this again ÇƒÓ weëre all going to face this again," Hedburg said.
"People will get displaced when thereës more development in our area
and there will be a greater need for affordable housing for those
people. Mobile homes are a very common form of housing."
She added that the group has some "serious concerns" about the level of information provided to the occupants.
"Some of the
residents bought their homes just a few months ago ÇƒÓ to us that raises
some very serious questions about why they didnët know about the sale
of this property," Hedburg noted. "Weëre wondering about the
culpability of who was to inform them. We donët suppose to have an
answer, but this is something we must address. Right now weëre taking
the approach that the entire community is responsible."
In other action,
council heard the annual financial report on the last fiscal year.
Weaverville received the Government Finance Officers Association
"Distinguished Budget Presentation Award" and compliments from Scott
Hughes, the auditor who examined the townës budget.
"Itës rare to see this level of attention to detail in a municipality this size," Hughes said.
He also praised
the townës strategy of keeping a large fund balance, around $6 million,
noting that it has to deal with a capital project and a rapidly growing
area.
"In the case
youëre in, where the areaës growing like it is and youëre building a
new fire station ÇƒÓ you need a large fund balance," Hughes said.
Weavervilleës
fund balance attracted some controversy when the town refused to lower
its tax rate after last yearës property reevaluation, resulting in a
tax rise, in some places by as much of a third.
Opponents of the raise
asserted that the town could have afforded to cut its tax rate to a
level that would have kept its earnings consistent with previous years
and resulted in less burden on its citizens.
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