Letter: Another side to Pond Road development story

Graphic by Lori Deaton

There is an aspect other than traffic overload that [a recent] Mountain Xpress article missed, and that is environmental impact [“Developer Proposes 697 Residential Units West of City,” March 11]. And reflecting on the consequences of previous environmental actions.

Five years ago, the referenced “mulch and compost business” that now exists on the 83-acre proposed development site was much more. It was an 80-plus-head Black Angus cattle farm, which also leased about 60 additional adjacent acres. This 140-acre farm was wooded pastureland, with Hominy Creek running through it and along the southeastern border. It was a family farm for two-three generations, but its days were numbered as family interest in supporting the farm business was fading.

The mulch and compost business was a sideline with a solid reputation among gardeners and landscapers. The cow manure ingredient was supplemented by organic waste from the Farmers Market and many area restaurants. The product was economical and by far the best around, with customers throughout Western North Carolina, to include me.

Unfortunately, during a heavy rain event in December 2015, the manure-holding basin overflowed. The overflow had been straight piped to a back cove on Hominy Creek, a violation of a state operating permit. The resulting high E. coli bacteria spike in Hominy Creek was detected by MountainTrue stream monitoring.

Fines were levied on the farm, and remediation steps were in place, all administered and overseen by county and state environmental agencies. After a Jan. 13, 2016, article was run by the Asheville Citizen Times, the federal EPA got involved. The ensuing additional fines, legal fees and public humiliation greatly contributed to hastening the demise of this farm.

The approximately 60-acre leased wooded acreage, shown to the right of “subject property” in the Mountain Xpress article aerial photo, was the first to fall to developers. Almost all trees (many mature oaks) cut down, topsoil scraped off, road beds and numerous house lots, with the flood plain bordering Hominy Creek filled in. Those trees shown in the aerial photo are now almost all gone. Now the main farm is going.

Since the Angus herd has left, Hominy Creek E. coli and sediment pollution has actually worsened. During the French Broad River E. coli outbreak last summer, Hominy Creek was a primary E. coli source. The farm was never part of the ongoing problems.

So, in place of a large wooded farm, which was in violation of permit, we will have 140 acres of treeless, impermeable surfaces and a filled-in flood plain. Nothing has been done to improve imperiled Hominy Creek water quality, only making it worse.

I have asked local environmentalists and regulators about this sequence of events. The answer has always been the same: What the farm did was illegal; what the developers are doing is legal. Drastic loss of the deciduous tree canopy, stormwater surges, erosion and sedimentation. County zoning, so, no problem.

This is referred to as “unintended consequences.” We trade an isolated E. coli spike into a polluted, imperiled stream for the destruction of a watershed.

— Bill Miller
Enka

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 Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

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 “Letter: Another side to Pond Road development story

  1. not a local

    Great comment, unfortunate series of events that’ll pave the way for more development so everyone and their brother can continue moving here. No tree or anything relating to nature needed any more, just keep paving the way for more people and strip malls

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.