News

Kanuga Road residents urge city to oppose widening

By Bill Moss, Published: September 15, 2017

Kanuga Road residents continue to voice anxiety over a road widening project that will take part of their yards.

Chad Anderson told the Hendersonville City Council that he bought the home at 1104 Kanuga Road from his grandparents, who had lived there since 1964. He grew up going to the house for family gatherings and there was plenty of room to park.
“We have about 50 feet from the porch to the road,” he said. “Under the plan, it appears we will be reduced to about 30 feet. That will leave us with two parking spaces for a three-bedroom, two-bath home. If they take even honestly 10 feet that will leave us backing through a sidewalk, a planter space and then into traffic.”
Anderson said he understood that the NCDOT, and not the city, is responsible for the Kanuga Road project.
“And even if it’s not your decision, I ask you to be our advocate on this in opposing this project,” he said.
Judith Sheehan, of 1034 Kanuga Road, said she received “an innocuous postcard in the mail” announcing a public meeting on the widening project.
“When I arrived at the meeting I was overwhelmed by what they planned to do,” he said. “I fail to understand how widening this road will make it safer.”
While a series of fatalities on the road focused on road hazards, “None of those could be prevented by widening the road,” she said. “They were all due to human error.”
Councilman Steve Caraker, the city’s representative on the county Transportation Advisory Committee, said the project is “pretty much based on safety.” The best way to influence the NCDOT process is “make sure you’re a part of the process, stay involved and make your wishes known to DOT,” he told Anderson. “They listen more than they used to.”