FLOOD CONTROL AND GREENWAYS

COMMUNITY MEETING ON

FLOOD CONTROL AND GREENWAYS

The
community is invited to a public meeting on Thursday, October 8 at 7 pm to learn
about two ongoing studies in the Swannanoa Valley – the Swannanoa Flood Risk
Management Project and the Swannanoa River Greenway Feasibility Study. The meeting will be held at the Bee Tree
Fire Station, 510 Bee Tree
Road, in Swannanoa.

“It’s
been 5 years since Hurricanes Frances and Ivan,” said Mary Leonard White, Chair
of the Asheville Regional Flood Damage Reduction Task Force. “We thought this would be a good time to
update the community on what’s been done to address flood concerns since 2004.”

During
the first part of the meeting, engineers from Brown and Caldwell will explain
the purpose of the Flood Risk Management Project, discuss the steps that may be
taken to reduce flood damage, display maps showing locations of potential
projects, and answer questions.
The
goal of the Flood Risk Management Project is to identify, and where feasible
implement, a combination of measures to reduce flood damage and risk to human
life and property within the Swannanoa River Watershed. The project is being undertaken by the
City of Asheville, partnered with Buncombe County and the Town of Black
Mountain. Projects to be
investigated include construction of stormwater detention structures and
retrofits, stream channel improvements, flood-proofing, potential buy-outs of
floodplain property, and improvements in existing flood warning
procedures.

In
the second part of the meeting, representatives from the Swannanoa Greenways
Committee and the Buncombe County Greenways Commission will discuss the status
of efforts to develop a greenway connecting Swannanoa with Asheville and Black Mountain. Meeting attendees will learn
about the Swannanoa River Greenway Feasibility Study that is currently underway,
and the possible benefits of a greenway for reducing flood damage.

The
meeting is co-sponsored by the Asheville Regional Flood Damage Reduction Task
Force and the Swannanoa Pride Community Coalition.

For
more information, please call 669-4543 or 686-4417.