“You’ve been heard very loud and clear,” said N.C. Department of Administration engineer Bert Neilly, addressing about 100 Grovemont residents who have voiced concerns in recent weeks about a proposed entrance to a planned VA nursing home in their neighborhood.
Speaking at the June 3 N.C. DOA Public Information Session on the project, Neilly was greeted by cheers as he went on to outline alternative proposals the department is considering that would avoid putting the entrance through Grovemont. “We’re going to try everything we can to make this a successful project for the veterans and the people of Swannanoa,” he continued.
Although the N.C. DOT and DOA officials on hand were careful to point out that any new plans for the entrance could still face funding and engineering hurdles (all of the alternative routes would cost more than the originally proposed entrance on Woodland Drive), Neilly said he thinks the changes are “doable.”
Several Grovemont residents, as well as Buncombe County Board Chair David Gantt, spoke out at the meeting in favor of changing the proposed entrance. “We’re going to help you with the Board of Adjustments,” said Gantt, noting that he thinks the N.C. DOT and DOA are “trying to do the right thing.”
Gantt also acknowledged that it was largely the county’s fault that many Grovemont residents weren’t aware of the project until controversial plans for the entrance were already in place. “It’s the county’s fault more people didn’t get notices,” he said. “Only the adjoining land owners got notices.”
Woodland Drive’s Wendy Outland urged the N.C. DOT and DOA officials to consider the safety of Grovemont residents as they consider the alternative plans. “I thank you very much for the proposals you’ve brought us this evening,” she said. “Safety is our main concern—the easiest way is not always the best way.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, the DOA’s Speros Fleggas promised residents they would hold another public session in a couple weeks to update them on how the plans are developing.
Here’s the original post:
About 60 residents of the Grovemont neighborhood in east Asheville gathered Thursday night, May 27, at the Bee Tree Fire Station to rally against a proposed entrance to a planned VA nursing home in the area.
Sophia Papadopoulos, an organizer of the newly formed group Grovemont Neighbors of the VA Nursing Home, presented a PowerPoint plan that made the case for relocating the proposed entrance from Woodland Drive to Lake Eden Road. During the presentation, Papadopoulos said locating the entrance at Woodland Drive would bring too much traffic into the community, creating an unsafe situation for residents. She estimated the facility would bring about 5,000 additional vehicles per month onto Woodland Drive, which is narrower and closer to homes than Lake Eden Road.
“It’s our hope and request that the the state of North Carolina keeps our neighborhood safe,” said Papadopoulos, garnering big applause from attendees.
Papadopoulos also encouraged residents to speak their mind at an upcoming June 3 presentation by the Department of Administration on the proposed plan (see the public notice below). The public meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Charles D. Owen Middle School, with an informal meet-and-greet preceding it at 4:30 p.m.
“It’s very important we show up in big numbers to that meeting. … bring your children, bring your families, speak up,” said Papadopoulos. “Even if they start digging that entrance up, we’ve got to keep pushing.”
Photos courtesy of Grovemont Neighbors of the VA Nursing Home.
Here’s the public notice from the DOA:
In an effort to respond to citizen questions and hear their comments, the N.C. Department of Administration will hold a Public Information Session on June 3 at Owen Middle School in Swannanoa related to the construction of a State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Swannanoa.
The public is invited to an informal drop-in in the school lobby from 4:30-6 p.m. to see plans and talk with staff about the project. At 6:30 p.m., an information presentation, followed by a comments and questions period, will be held in the auditorium.
Owen Middle School is located at 730 Old US Highway 70, Swannanoa. Enter at the main entrance.
For information, contact DOA Communications Director Jill Warren Lucas at jill.lucas@doa.nc.gov or 919-807-2496.
I guess the fact that these Veterans served their country honorably and the fact that the property is owned by the Government carries little weight when the cry bavbies don’t want to block their view of this pretty land. Maybe we should line them up and let the grovemont neighbors just shoot them, if not for these BRAVE Veterans we might be speaking a different language like German or Japanese. Classic Not In My Back Yard NIMBY, you allo are just lucky MHO doesn’t want to build there yet or there would bew NO STOPPING THEM.
As Ben Simpson points out, if it had been a Mountain Housing Opportunities project and a City
Council decision, the concerns of the neighborhood and other residents would not have been heeded. Interesting how county government, even state and federal government seem to be more concerned.
Ben,
Iinvite you to cme out to Swannanoa and see the site. The safety issues are real and the State folks acknowledged that at the meeting June 3.
The group asking for the change include a vet who landed on Normandy, a man who uncle had an air force base named after him….and when asked 85% of those in attendance at the May 27 meeting (68 people) were vet or had vets in their immediate family.
The proposed new entrance will be safer and more beautiful. The neighborhood plans to do volunteer work in the new nursing home.
The new entrance passes zero homes, whereas the original proposed one passed 50 driveways on a 16′ road (the state doesn’t allow such narrow roads to be built today…and there were no plans to widen it).
The new solution is better for everyone–vets, their families, and the neighborhood.
Come on out. We’ll be glad to show you.
Monroe Gilmour
828-669-6677
What I don’t see is any mention of the additional effects of traffic on Lake Eden Rd. We already have a lot of daily traffic from Owen High School, The Presbyterian Home, Camp Rockmont, the 4H Camp and other events that occur.
This sounds very much like one neighborhood wanting it to become someone else’s problem.