News

THE TOP 10 NEWSSTORIES OF 2017: 7, 6, 5, 4 ...

By Bill Moss, Published: December 25, 2017

No. 7. Good news at Seven Falls

Although no one’s pulling any building permits yet with a Seven Falls address, the development based on the fraud that sent Keith Vinson to prison had its best year since the dizzying days when country musicians choppered in for exclusive sales extravaganzas. Thanks to the patient guidance of County Attorney Russ Burrell and a star-studded lineup of attorneys who knew how to reach a compromise, lot owners agreed to a distribution of $5.5 million in bond money Henderson County received after the development failed. “My argument in court about why Judge Powell should accept this is I didn’t go through life seeing very many miracles but this is as close to one I’ve seen in a long time,” Burrell said. “I did not expect them to agree to anything.” The horizon brightened, too, when Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy bought 146 acres of old Seven Falls property along the French Broad River, pledging to preserve the land for passive recreational use and water quality protection.

No. 6. Water wars

For generations, water — where it comes from, where it goes and who decides— has created conflict in the Henderson-Buncombe region. This year was no different, except now Henderson County commissioners have trained their sights on Hendersonville, not Asheville. In March, commissioners called on the state Legislature to force the city to cede its water system to the county. If it refused, commissioners wanted the Legislature to place the city system under state control. Commissioners contend that the city ought to charge customers outside the city the same rate — or close to the same rate — as ratepayers inside. Before the March 15 meeting, the city issued a pre-emptive strike to counter arguments Commissioner Bill Lapsley has made for the takeover. “The City of Hendersonville contends that Commissioner Lapsley’s facts are misconstrued, taken out of context or simply wrong,” City Manager John Connet said in a news release. State Rep. Chuck McGrady filed a bill to put the city system under control and later softened that to a study of regional water system. At year’s end, the conflict remained unresolved.

No. 5. Store wars

The commercial sizzle in Hendersonville’s south gateway is going to get even hotter when Publix opens next year. Ingles and Dollar Tree opened in 2017 at ground zero of the grocery and drugstore war. Harris Teeter scrambled to add Starbucks coffee and ready-to-eat items to keep pace with Ingles, Fresh Market and Publix. The NCDOT’s plans for traffic are already drawing opposition. An NCDOT plan for the city’s south side envisions three roundabouts, including one where King, Main and Church streets merge. A White Street extension would take two commercial buildings and reduce parking for Walgreens and Wendy’s. Property owners and city council members are skeptical at best. Look for a scrum in 2018.