Press release from Buncombe County Recreation Services:
Buncombe County Recreation Services and the Town of Woodfin will host a drop-in public informational meeting regarding the early-stage designs for the Riverside Drive (Highway 251) Greenway that will run generally parallel to the French Broad River from Broadway Avenue to Elk Mountain Road. The public meeting will take place at the French Broad River Academy located at 1900 Riverside Driver, Asheville, NC 28804 on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 from 5:30pm until 7pm.
Over the last several months, Buncombe County and the Town of Woodfin and its consulting team lead by HNTB and supported by Equinox Environmental have worked to advance the original 2010 conceptual plan and feasibility study for the Riverside Drive/French Broad River Greenway (available at www.buncombegreenways.org). The project team will present the first stage of design for the greenway alignment created using their knowledge of major constraints and impediments relative to the construction of the project.
The approximately three mile section of greenway under discussion at the public meeting is part of a larger effort lead by the Town of Woodfin to create new recreational opportunities within the French Broad River Corridor within the town. The project was supported by voters through a bond referendum and has been carried forward with additional capital support leveraged from the Tourism Development Authority and the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation Block Grant Program.
Buncombe County has been a destination for outdoor enthusiasts who have enjoyed the region’s trails and outdoor recreation for more than a century. As demand was growing for a countywide, comprehensive approach to greenways and trail planning, Buncombe County, through a variety of partnerships, undertook the task of developing a Greenways and Trails master plan, which was adopted by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in 2012. The County plan envisions a system of connected trails for public usage (pedestrian and bicycles) to foster and promote tourism, economic development, health, recreation, diverse and safe transportation options, and to connect the communities in Buncombe County so that everyone can enjoy and experience the cultural heritage and beauty of Buncombe County. The Riverside Drive (Highway 251) Greenway will ultimately connect to the City of Asheville’s work within the River Arts Transportation Improvement Project and would create a corridor that allowed users to navigate a greenway from the Town of Woodfin to Lake Julian Park in Arden upon the full build out of the master plan.
Staff from Buncombe County, the Town of Woodfin, and Equinox will be available at the meeting to answer questions from the public regarding the design and to receive input regarding any concerns that residents may have about the design.
For additional information on the Buncombe County Greenways Master Plan, visit BuncombeGreenways.org.
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