The Buncombe County Commissioners and the Parks, Greenways and Recreation Advisory Board officially kicked off the Buncombe County Greenways and Trails Master Plan Update at an event held earlier this month at the North Carolina Arboretum. A local consulting group, Kostelec Planning Group, LLC, has been hired as project manager for a team of consultants that will complete the greenways master plan update for the entire County. The master plan will include the Swannanoa segment of the greenway, which was previously identified by the County as a top priority in the overall greenway plan. The plan is being funded through a partnership with Buncombe County, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the French Broad Metropolitan Planning Organization.
At the June 10 event, the County also announced a new “Connect Buncombe” campaign to foster public outreach, education, and citizen participation in the greenway plan. Opportunities for public input and participation will be announced soon, so stay tuned. The County has launched a special Connect Buncombe website to keep the public informed about progress with the greenway plan and to announce upcoming meetings. To visit the website, please click here. If you have questions about the greenway plan, contact Lucy Crown at 250-4264 or lucy.crown@buncombecounty.org.
The next meeting of the Swannanoa Greenways Committee will be Thursday, July 21, at 5 pm at the Swannanoa Library, 101 W. Charleston Ave. in Grovemont. All are welcome!