Courtesy of Hendersonville Times-News (Apr. 1, 2019)
By Derek Lacey, Times-News Staff Writer
Henderson County has officially adopted its draft 2020 Greenway Master Plan and will move forward with related feasibility studies. The unanimous decision by the Board of Commissioners Monday night was met with raucous applause from a full meeting chamber.
A year in the making, the plan lays out an ambitious decades-long formula for the development of a county greenway network, one that proponents expect to bring a slew of benefits to the county.
County Planning Director Autumn Radcliff presented a summary of the plan, describing the year-long, intensive process that went into making the detailed plan.
The master plan maps out county greenway plans for the next three decades, hoping to establish a countywide greenway network. It was crafted by the 16-member Henderson County Greenway master Plan Advisory Committee, according to the plan’s executive summary.
The plan makes a number of policy and action step recommendations, including first completing priority greenway segments like the Oklawaha Greenway, French Broad River Greenway and Ecusta Trail.
Those primary segments are key corridors for transportation and provide regional connection to adjacent counties, she said.
Behind priority segments are destination greenways that provide a route to places like The Park at Flat Rock, Carolina Village, the Carl Sandburg Home or the Green River Game Lands.
The third are connection greenways, Radcliff said, routes that will be developed as others are completed to provide things like a municipal loop or schools, parks and community hubs.
Show of support
A number of people signed up to speak in favor of greenways and in favor of the plan’s adoption, including Kieran Roe, executive director of Conserving Carolina, and Dr. Ken Shelton, who spoke of the health and economic benefits of greenways.
Steve Dozier, a real estate agent and chair of the county planning board, spoke in favor of the plan on behalf of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce. Mark Warwick, the chair of the county Tourism Development Authority, also spoke in favor.
All spoke in favor of the plan’s adoption, noting benefits such as exercise and health to boosting the economy and tourism.
Radcliff also spoke to some of those points, including findings that a greenway immediately adjacent to a property raises the value of that property by 5 to 20 percent, and makes walking and biking 60 percent safer than doing those same activities off-greenway.
She said public input has been very positive, drawing a 93-percent approval rating from various forms of public outreach throughout the master plan process. She noted that 77.6 percent of people asked strongly approved the master plan.
Chris Burns, a member of the committee, said he was “absolutely blown away at the amount of support” the plan received in the last year.
Not only did residents support the plan at public planning sessions, but more than 600 survey responses were in favor, and nearly 40 letters of support were received from other organizations like boards, committees and nonprofits.
Commissioners weigh in
Lapsley also noted that the state Department of Transportation sets aside money earmarked for bike and pedestrian projects, saying this plan could serve to help the county garner significant support.
Noting his long involvement with parks in the county, Commissioner Charlie Messer called the plan “a dream come true” that will help the quality of life for the whole county.
“We’re going to move on it and we’re going to try and get as much established as we can,” he said.
Commissioner Rebecca McCall said Blue Ridge Community College and Jackson Park were two big catalysts that changed the county for the better, and this plan could be the third.
The commissioners’ unanimous vote to approve the plan and begin feasibility studies was met with a standing ovation by a nearly full room of supporters.
For more information or to check out the entire plan, visit https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/greenway-network.