From the Town of Woodfin:
Woodfin Greenway & Blueway Receives Major Funding Support
The Woodfin Greenway & Blueway project – a collaborative recreation and transportation infrastructure initiative by the Town of Woodfin, Buncombe County and other partners — received two major funding boosts on Thursday, May 25. Substantial support from the Federal Highway Administration was approved; and the Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) Committee of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) voted unanimously to recommend funding too.
The Woodfin Greenway & Blueway project will add five miles of new greenway trails, the new Silverline Park on the French Broad River, and the in-stream Whitewater Wave feature along with other park updates and improvements – changes that the project sponsors and the citizens of Woodfin believe will be transformative for the community and the region.
A $4.0 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under its Surface Transportation Block Grant program was awarded to Buncombe County for construction of the greenway elements. Under its partnership with the Town of Woodfin, Buncombe County government is leading the development of the greenway portions of the project. The Board of the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which administers the FHWA program locally, approved the grant Thursday afternoon.
In a separate action within an hour of the federal grant approval, the Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) Committee of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) voted unanimously to recommend that $2.25 million in requested funding for the project be awarded by the TDA board at its June 28th meeting. The TPDF Committee rigorously reviews all capital grant applications. Woodfin’s project had in December been approved for application under the TDA’s new Major Works category. That track was established in 2016 so that the agency could carefully consider multi-faceted larger-scale “place-making” projects to be built over multiple years. Funding for TPDF grants comes from a portion of occupancy tax collected in the county. If approved by the TDA board in June, the grant will provide funding for the greenway, Silverline Park, and Whitewater Wave elements of the project.
The Greenway & Blueway effort gained significant traction last November when voters of the Town of Woodfin approved a $4.5 million referendum for general obligation bond funding. Since then, progress has picked up on developing plans and designs for the project, and in seeking the additional funds necessary.
The Town of Woodfin has also requested $1 million in funding from the Buncombe County Commission, and that request is currently being considered under the budget process for the upcoming fiscal year. A decision is due in June as the Commission considers the budget.
Total costs for the Woodfin Greenway & Blueway are currently estimated at $13.9 million.
Woodfin mayor Jerry VeHaun described Thursday as “a very good day for our town and the broader community. This positive news on funding is a real compliment to our town. The people of Woodfin really appreciate the strong support and partnerships that are building for this great project,” he continued.
Buncombe County Commission Chairman Brownie Newman said, “The new parks and greenways along the French Broad River will be enjoyed by families in Buncombe County and visitors to our community for years to come. Many thanks to FHWA and the MPO board, and to the TPDF Committee, for their support.”
Rick Lutovsky, Chairman of Friends of Woodfin Greenway & Blueway, a community group established to support fundraising efforts for the initiative said, “Yesterday’s developments are great news for a fabulous project. The Greenway & Blueway is really a strong team effort on the part of the Town of Woodfin, Buncombe County, and our funding partners. Much appreciation to all involved. There remains plenty of work to do however, including raising the rest of the required funding so that construction can begin.” Lutovsky added that his group is set to roll out a private sector fundraising effort in the coming weeks and that if all goes according to plan, the project should be completed by 2021.
More information is available on the project at the Facebook page created by Friends of Woodfin Greenway & Blueway, https://www.facebook.com/woodfingreenwayandblueway/
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.