Buncombe Commissioners to discuss resolution to solicit bids for Bent Creek property

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has started the budget process for next fiscal year. During its meeting on Tuesday, March 21, 46 nonprofits asked to be a part of that budget.

At the Tuesday, Oct. 6 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will discuss a resolution of intent to solicit bids for the $6.8 million Bent Creek property purchased from Henderson County this April.

The 4-3 vote to purchase the property split the commissioners down party lines and was intended to entice an Asheville expansion of Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery.

Clerk to the Board Kathy Hughes explained that the resolution to solicit bids for the property comes from three of the seven commissioners.

The resolution reads that, as “Buncombe County has incurred a one-time expense due to a legal settlement related to the Innocence Commission, … this board hereby declares its intent to accept offers for this property in an amount not less than $6.8 million.”

And what does that mean for the possible Deschutes expansion? We don’t know. But, hopefully, next week’s meeting will bring news of where Asheville’s at on the Pacific North West brewery’s list of prospects.

Commissioners will also discuss transferring the title of a 4-acre Erwin Hills Road property to Asheville-Buncombe Educational Housing, LLC for teacher housing.

“The State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation is a North Carolina nonprofit corporation which promotes local and community development by primarily funding high-impact projects in the areas of housing, education, health care and human services,” reads the resolution. “Through its efforts to to give back to citizens across our state, the SECU Foundation projects have included Hertford County Teacher Housing, Hatteras Island Teacher Housing and Dare County Teacher Housing.”

At each of these project sites, the SECU Foundation “provided an interest-free loan to fund the construction of a 24-unit apartment complex in a county where teachers are unable to afford to live due to the high cost of housing.”

Because Buncombe County “has similar issues regarding high costs and needs for
workforce housing, … the SECU Foundation has offered to make a similar loan
for teacher housing in Buncombe County. … The SECU Foundation, Buncombe
County Schools, Buncombe County and Eblen Charities have been working
together to make such a project in our community a reality,” under the management of Eblen Charities.

The company Asheville-Buncombe Educational Housing has been formed specifically for this venture.

There will be no public hearings at this meeting, but public comment will be allowed at the beginning of the evening.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 4:30 p.m. on the third floor of the county building at 200 College St.

To look over the full agenda, click here.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Hayley Benton
Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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.

One thought on “Buncombe Commissioners to discuss resolution to solicit bids for Bent Creek property

  1. OneWhoKnows

    Now that the liberals are realizing that government screwls are GUN FREE ZONES that invite murder, isn’t it time for the
    Buncombe Co Commissioners to provide ARMED GUARDS at ALL government screwls in AVL/Dumbcombe?

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.