On July 19, the Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission approved a rezoning request against the recommendation of city staff that would allow two properties on Maxwell Street to serve as short-term vacation rental properties.
![](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_0631-330x248.jpg)
On July 19, the Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission approved a rezoning request against the recommendation of city staff that would allow two properties on Maxwell Street to serve as short-term vacation rental properties.
Sylvan Sport founder Tom Dempsey says the inspiration for his company’s adventure camping trailers comes from spending time outdoors — and there’s no better place to find inspiration than this area. “We couldn’t do what we do anywhere else,” he says.
Buncombe County is one step closer to recouping the money it claims was misappropriated by former County Manager Wanda Greene and her son, Michael Greene, who served as a county employee until August 2017.
During their meeting on July 10, commissioners approved an increase in monthly Waste Pro rates and took the first step in their formal search for a new county manager.
The next major step in the selection of a new county manager involves deciding whether to hire an executive search firm. That’s an issue commissioners will discuss during their meeting on Tuesday, July 10.
During their June 19 meeting, Buncombe County commissioners approved a 1-cent increase for the 11 fire districts that requested at least that amount from the county this year. The officials then picked through the requests to identify districts they believed deserved more than the 1-cent baseline.
A new study sponsored by a coalition of local organizations and funded by Mountain BizWorks and the City of Asheville identifies a long list of markets where Asheville has room for local expansion. The New Economy Coalition hopes to use the study to boost the number of minority-owned businesses in Western North Carolina.
Two pivotal items on the board’s agenda were the approval of the FY 2019 budget and the appointment of an interim county manager after the sudden departure of former manager Mandy Stone.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will consider George Wood, who previously served as the county manager for Wayne and Lincoln counties, for the role of interim county manager during its meeting on Tuesday, June 19.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will vote Tuesday, June 19, on a resolution appointing a new interim county manager after last week’s sudden announcement that County Manager Mandy Stone would be departing. The board will also render a final decision about the county’s FY 2019 budget, which includes a bump in education spending.
As of June 11, Buncombe County has $458.5 million in debt. Over half of that debt balance ― $270 million ― has paid for facilities for A-B Tech and the county’s two public school systems, the Asheville City and Buncombe County schools.
After the announcement that county manager Mandy Stone would be retiring effective July 1, Buncombe County is now in need of a new county manager. The government has also filed a lawsuit against former county manager Wanda Greene in an effort to recoup money it claims she misappropriated.
With the help of money from the Pigeon River Fund, Asheville GreenWorks has lifted more than one thousand pounds of trash from Mud Creek in Hendersonville.
Though breaking news about new Wanda Greene indictments made it hard for elected officials and members of the public to focus on anything else, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved $685,000 in incentives for a planned local investment by GE Aviation and announced two new early childhood education initiatives during its meeting on June 5.
An indictment returned June 5 brings new charges against former Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene and alleges that she used $2.3 million of county money to purchase life insurance policies in her name as well as the names of her son Michael Greene, who worked for the county, and eight other county employees.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings at its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 5.
With the real estate market in Asheville becoming tighter and more expensive, homebuyers are increasingly looking outside the city, and oftentimes Buncombe County, to find a home that fits their budget.
During the Board of Commissioners meeting on May 15, commissioners took time to applaud Stone and county staff for the transparency of the budget process this year, noting that it was a significant improvement over the budget planning in prior years.
Tuesday, May 15 will mark the first opportunity for citizens to hear about Buncombe County’s proposed budget for FY 2019.
Local nonprofits compete for city and county grant funding every year. Xpress looks at the funding programs available and what nonprofits must do to be considered.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners heard requests by 12 fire departments on May 8 to increase fire tax rates in their districts. If all the requests are approved, the county will spend an additional $2.7 million on fire service in the upcoming fiscal year.