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Tuesday, 12 December 2006 19:03 |
From Staff Reports
Following a public hearing at which no opposition was expressed on the plan, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 28 unanimously approved $25 million in financing to help Woodfin develop a downtown center.
The county funds, coupled with portions provided by Woodfin and Cherokee Investments, bring the project total to $210 million. The Buncombe money will cover public roadways, parking, water and sewer, greenspace developments and pedestrian walkways.
Estimates
by county officials claim that the Woodfin project could increase the
townës tax base from $5.3 million to $277 million.
The project
comprises 230 acres, roughly in the center of Woodfin. In addition to
551 residential units, the area will include 22,400 square feet of
restaurants; 49,800 sqare feet of office space, 210,000 square feet of
parking and 89,600 square feet of retail space.
The county money
will be provided through tax increment financing, made possible by
state legislation passed last spring, which takes the money from
developers who build in the area. County and Woodfin taxpayers will not
pay for the improvements.
Woodfin passed its portion of the financing package last month.
In other action, the board of commissioners:
ï Approved a
$1.27 million contract to replace roofs at Pack Library, Enka Library,
the Social Services building and the county garage.
ï Approved
resolutions of apprecation to Buncombe school board members Roger Aiken
and Jim Edmonds and Sheriff Bobby Medford. Aiken and Edmonds did not
seek re-election, while Medford was defeated in his bid to keep his
office.
ï Appointed
Harold Holcombe and Gregory Hutchins to the Land Conservation Advisory
Board; Keith Shipley to the Adult Care Home Community Advisory
Committee; and Beth Burdick and Jane Gregory to the Womenës Commission.
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