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Development in WNC concerns residents
Sep. 28- Unchecked and irresponsible development is creating environmental consequences that threaten the quality of life in Western North Carolina (WNC), according to a newly formed coalition of concerned groups.
On Sept. 27, more than 250 people crowded into the Unitarian Church in Asheville to attend a "Save our Slopes" meeting and hear speakers discuss some of the problems that accompany mountainside development. The gathering was sponsored by Mountain Voices Alliance (MVA), a group of 15 organizations, including the Sierra Club and People Advocating Real Conservancy (PARC), formed in response to what is seen as negligent development practices in WNC counties.
"The surge in unbridled development has brought us together," says Susan Stewart of the WNC Sierra Club. Buncombe County alone is expected to grow by 2,500 new residents every year.
Moreover, county officials have seen a 48 percent increase in residential building permits, with 1,547 permits issued in Buncombe County during 2005.
And Henderson County has lost 32,000 acres of wooded area between 1990 and 2002; much of the forest has given way to gated communities built into mountainsides.
According to MVA, the hasty pace of growth is moving forward with little consideration for potential environmental and aesthetic ill effects, such as landslides, groundwater shortages and light pollution.
Problems on the rise
The growing popularity of WNC, coupled with the region's topography means that builders are increasingly developing slopes. Rick Wooten, a geologist for the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said slope development leaves mountainsides susceptible to landslides, particularly during heavy rainfall.
"They happen without warning, and pack a good punch," said Wooten, displaying photographs of WNC landslides that have resulted in considerable property damage and loss of life.
The surge in development is expected to overwhelm mountain aquifers, which provide drinking water to rural communities.
Outside Asheville City limits "groundwater is relied on for drinking water," said Jim McElduff, an environmental engineer who is a former member of the Buncombe County Planning Board.
"[An] amazing number of subdivisions are being built," he stated, adding that contractors have no motivation to consider problems like limited water supplies. McElduff went on to say that the county administrators need to identify where major subdivisions are unlikely to have adequate water supplies and issue permits accordingly.
Undoubtedly, much of the recent development comes as people discover the natural beauty of the southern Appalachian mountains. Yet, the construction of homes on mountainsides inevitably diminishes the aesthetic splendor of the region.
Dee Eggers, Environmental Studies Professor at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, recommended making incentives available for developers who build in "community and environmentally friendly ways." For example, inducements would reward contractors who top homes with green roofs, build lower on the mountain and adhere to density restrictions.
Conversely, Eggers asserted that "credible threat of sanctions is absolutely necessary" to punish builders who fail to abide by standards.
Developmental debacle
Recently Asheville residents have experienced the consequences of irresponsible and negligent developmental procedures. Richmond Hill Park was once a 180 acre tract of forest, formerly the largest green space in city limits and home to rare species of plants and animals, with streams crisscrossing the park. Plus, the recreational area housed an often used 18-hole disk golf course. Today, the space looks like a desolate, red clay wasteland with dirty waterways and unusable grounds.
Last year the city agreed to allow the construction of a National Guard armory and ball fields on the land. However, after the park was bulldozed during the grading phase, construction was halted due to environmental violations — namely inadequate erosion and sediment control — leaving the project at a standstill.
As it turns out, the grading was done not by professionals who could handle large-scale jobs, but rather by trainees, lamented Stewart, who showed before-and-after pictures of the park.
Unchecked and lazy oversight has turned a recreational treasure into a useless eyesore.
It is exactly this type of development that MVA is trying to head-off. If developers are allowed to cut corners, they will. And if residents do not form watchdog groups to ensure responsible development, the quality of life in WNC is likely to be compromised, said the group.
Unchecked ambition
Common among speakers was the notion that contractors will continue to build without regard for long-term consequences unless citizens take measures to stave off intrusive and gluttonous growth.
Developers have recently set their sights on Laurel Valley in northwest Madison County, leaving residents of the neighborhood worried that plans to build a small airport and new home construction will alter the small, quiet mountain community.
"Our worst fear is incessant blasting and mountaintop removal for a 3,200 foot jetport.... You cannot put thousands of homes on a mountainside without severe problems with pollution, erosion [and] habitat destruction.... We do not believe they can ruin our lives and neighborhood unless we roll over and allow them," states Laurel Valley Watch, a community group fighting the plans.
If we do not take a stand, "You're all looking at jetports in your backyard," said Deborah Lewis, a member of the organization.
What can be done?
Speakers at the meeting offered suggestions on ways to curb excessive and thoughtless development.
McElduff said residents must "relentlessly fight for reasonable planning" by becoming board members and supporting politicians who agree to back responsible building. "Developers are relentless," so we must be as well, he said.
Presenters also recommended people write letters to newspapers and government officials and attend commissioners' meetings.
Gracia O'Neill, of Clean Water for North Carolina, concluded that the "problem is going to get bigger." She said people need to come up with "good positive solutions, not just saying, 'No we don't want that.'"
Stewart urged folks to follow the example of James Wood, a University of North Carolina at Asheville student who photographed Richmond Hill Park's environmental degradation and brought violations to light. For his activism, the Sierra Club presented Wood with an award.
Source: AGR |
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Cost of the War in Iraq
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| Quote of the Week |
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-- Robert Naiman, truthout, 8/16/2010.
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