Flat Rock Playhouse: Nix occupancy tax, bring on TDA tickets

Looks like the Flat Rock Playhouse figures it's easier to get money from the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority than trying to get a tax increase through the public. From the Times-News:

The Flat Rock Playhouse has asked county commissioners to drop the controversial issue of a 1 percent room tax hike to benefit the nonprofit theater, favoring a Tourism and Development Authority ticket program as a better source of funding help.

In an email to TDA members and county commissioners, trustee Robert Danos wrote "the Board of the Flat Rock Playhouse requests that you pull the issue of the occupancy tax increase from further discussion or a vote."

Danos said Playhouse trustees believe a new "Stay & Play" partnership with the TDA designed to bolster cooperation between the theater and local accommodations will be less divisive than an occupancy tax hike and more rewarding for everyone....

Commissioners tabled their vote for six months to allow the TDA a chance to weigh in on the matter, and TDA officials recently pushed back their report until spring. The Playhouse's request may end the matter, though, since the state law authorizing the tax increase expires in 2015....

Under the reworked pilot program, TDA will buy 781 tickets to major Playhouse productions (not Music on the Rock shows) for $25,000. Accommodations will provide the tickets to visitors who stay at least two nights, provided they come as part of a Web-based promotion package....

Read it all. Of course, it's all taxpayer money, but at least this won't single out the lodging industry to bear the brunt of a tax increase. It will be interesting to see how (and how often) the TDA tracks and reports on their Stay & Play program. 

Residents speak out against potential Flat Rock park

Two news stories on today's Flat Rock village council meeting on the park proposal. First from the Hendersonville Lightning:

For the first time since it has been publicly debated, a proposed Flat Rock park received a mostly thumbs down from residents who feared the result will be a longterm financial burden and a property tax increase to cover operating and maintenance cost.

The Flat Rock Village Council heard from 13 residents Monday afternoon, most of whom urged the council to be cautious. The council met for an hour and 25 minutes and spent most of that time listening to comments from the public....

Several residents said they did not believe web-based surveys or public meetings had produced an objective measure of Flat Rock residents' views. Several speakers also said they believe the area has ample park space and plenty of walking trails now....

The Village Council took no formal action on any of the options laid out by Mayor Bob Staton....

Read it all, and check out the Times-News as well:

Citing the potential of higher taxes and the redundancy of more parkland, about a dozen Flat Rock property owners showed up Tuesday at a Village Council meeting to express reservations about a proposed municipal park.

The majority of those who spoke asked council to hold a referendum before deciding on whether to purchase the 66-acre Highland Lake Golf Club property from Course Doctors Inc.

Until recently, few members of the public have voiced opposition to the park. A summary of all public input collected by the Highland Lake Park Exploratory Committee found 69 percent of 332 respondents were in favor of a park, with 22 percent opposed. The village has about 3,114 residents....

Council members made no decisions, saying they must get a firm handle on maintenance, operating and security costs. They'll meet again March 4 for an agenda meeting, but Mayor Bob Staton said last week that no final decision on buying the golf course would be made until at least March 14....

John Dockendorf, a member of the exploratory committee, said Monday's 2 p.m. meeting did not allow working people and families the opportunity to speak. Representing those viewpoints, Dockendorf said he supports the project because families now have to leave Flat Rock to find parks with playgrounds....

 Read it all.

Meeting reminder

Just a reminder that the Flat Rock village council is holding a special meeting today at 2:00 p.m. to discuss the park issue.

Why parks? Why now?

Thoughts off of the very top of my head, triggered by this article in the Times-News:

Greenway survives second vote; commissioners debate how many parks is too many

Two weeks after approving a grant application to fund a greenway at Westfeldt Park, Henderson County commissioners nearly abandoned the project Wednesday after splitting over a state request to reword their earlier resolution.

Asked to revisit a resolution asking for $50,000 in statematching funds, the board voted 3-2 in favor, with Vice Chairman Tommy Thompson joining the majority at the last second to save the greenway project from unraveling.

Commissioners Grady Hawkins and Larry Young voted no, objecting to language required by the granting agency and saying the county had enough parks and trails already….

But Chairman Charlie Messer and Commissioner Mike Edney argued parks like Westfeldt in Fletcher are what draw many residents and job-producing industries to Henderson County.

“This is the type of thing that got Sierra Nevada here,” Edney said. “We are blessed with a lot of parks, but that’s one reason we keep moving in that direction.”…

Hawkins wondered whether the state’s request for rewording wasn’t “a bait-and-switch,” and questioned whether the county needs more greenway trails.

“We’ve got two of the state’s 41 parks within spitting distance of us here, at DuPont State Recreational Forest and Chimney Rock,” he said. There are 10 more trails on the Green River gamelands south of here, he added, plus Hendersonville is extending the Oklawaha Greenway to Berkeley Park.

“The county itself has a little over 200 acres of park,” Hawkins said. “At some point, I have to ask, how many walking trails do we need? I just don’t find many of them overcrowded.”

Messer agreed the county had invested a lot in parks over the last five years, “but the fact of the matter is we have a new business going out there, being Sierra Nevada, and this was a very important part of their initial plan.”

When he asks residents why they moved to the northern end of the county, Messer added, Fletcher Community Park is always a key reason….

Young said it seems like area municipalities are competing to see who can build the most parks, citing new or improved parks in Fletcher, Mills River and Hendersonville, as well as county plans for new parks in Dana and Tuxedo….

So, why parks and why now?

Henderson County has a total population of 108,448 as of April 2011. This is a 21.6% increase from 89,173 residents in 2000 and an overall 56.5% increase from 69,285 in 1990. In the village of Flat Rock alone, the population increased 83.5% from 1990 to 2011, from 1,721 residents to 3,159.

Numbers from the Henderson County Planning Department show a projected increase in the county population to 124,138 in 2020 and to 141,431 in 2030.

From 2000 to 2012, Henderson County approved 347 major subdivisions (11 or more lots) and 2,205 minor subdivisions (not more than ten lots). Of course, creating a subdivision doesn’t necessarily mean that building is going on, but in 2011 alone Henderson County issued 352 building permits (I can only guess at how many were issued during the mid-2000s housing boom).

All of these facts are background to my thought that areas build parks as the population moves from rural to urban/suburban. And as the population grows, it naturally becomes more urban since more people are living on the same amount of land (about 373 square miles in the case of Henderson County).

A predominantly rural area doesn’t need many parks—maybe a regional one like Dupont State Forest, but not smaller localized ones like Fletcher Community Park or Mills River Park. Why travel a distance to a park to walk when you have plenty of land around you for that? A rural area also implies more agriculture and that involves more outdoor physical labor, so traveling to a park for exercise seems redundant—maybe some ball parks and tennis courts at the local schools, but that’s about all you would need.

As an area grows in population (and buildings), the rural character begins to recede. Now there are towns and villages where people are not as likely to be doing outdoor physical labor and they no longer have large areas of land around them. Dedicating land for parks guarantees public access to green space for all kinds of things: exercise, community events, organized and/or pick-up sports, dog parks, etc., whatever that particular community wants. It can also provide a buffer between communities so that they can retain some of their individual character and don't end up sprawling into each other (and as someone who has lived in southern California, I can tell you about sprawling).

So is this all about growing pains? Or is it local communities trying to hang on to what differentiates them--as represented by their particular parks--from other parts of the county? Is the urbanization bringing with it more pressure on local governments to provide amenities to attract new businesses (like Sierra Nevada) and new residents? Are various municipalities now in competition mode to outdo each other?

I don't know, but it's interesting to see it play out.

Flat Rock park opponent makes his case

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Here are excerpts from a 1,623-word letter by Flat Rock resident Bob Demartini raising questions about the proposed Highland Lake Park.

"Because the magnitude of such an undertaking far exceeds anything the Village has ever dealt with before, it is appropriate that we think about implications, 'unintended consequences' and alternatives as part of the evaluation process. To date our citizens have been exposed essentially exclusively to only one viewpoint, that urging the Administration to invest in their initiative. Hence this review in the interest of balance."

The property as an entrance gateway: "Some suggest there's need to worry that undesirable structures might be erected by other buyers of the Highland Lake property, arguing that buying it would constitute a defensive move by the Village. But that ignores the fact that some two-thirds of the 67-acre property is classified Flood Plain, ruling out anybody being able to build anything on most of it, desirable or undesirable. The low-lying land fronts on the roadway, is suitable for agricultural and recreational use only, and it will be unavailable to would-be spoilers. At the higher elevations, mostly set back from the roadway, attractive condos that would benefit from a view of a cultivated flood plain could be a desirable development."

Need vs. want: "Whatever truly motivates Park Project boosters, no case has been made that it serves a true need, though arguably it could qualify as 'nice to have.'"

Protecting Village fund balance: "To their credit, past VFR administrations patiently assembled a 'nest egg' of some $5 million, sufficient to enable the Village to deal with unanticipated surprises. ... Those monies represent ready means for dealing with what the dictionary defines as "possible, accidental or chance events (contingencies). ... When it is our turn for Mother Nature to deliver on our area a devastating hurricane or tornado or whatever, should we be dependent on the federal government to alleviate the mess?"...

Read it all.

Flat Rock park will wait until at least September

From Nathaniel Axtell at the Times-News:

Village councilmen have told the owners of Highland Lake Golf Club they can continue to operate their golf course until September, even if council opts to purchase the 66-acre property for a municipal park.

That decision won’t be made until at least March 14, according to Mayor Bob Staton. Council will hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25 to continue weighing the potential purchase of the land now owned by Course Doctors Inc.

Staton said council has informed Course Doctors that “council is leaning toward the purchase, but in the meantime, to go ahead and prepare for the upcoming season.”...

Staton said council told Course Doctors “if we make the decision to buy the property, we’d lease it back to them until at least September,” allowing them to sell six-month golf memberships....

Read it all (don't forget about the Times-News new online policy).

What do I think?

Several people have asked me my thoughts on the possible village purchase of the Highland Lake Golf Club and park development. Here's what I think (in fairly random order) at this moment:

• I haven't reached any decision yet on whether or not I support the property purchase and park development for one primary reason: I want to hear all of the information that will be discussed at the upcoming council meetings.
• I think the golf club location is a highly visible entrance into the village of Flat Rock that helps set the "look and feel" of the village and for that reason alone, the village council needs to give serious consideration to keeping it pastoral.
• The Henderson County option-to-buy contract of $1.15 million back in 2011 was way too high, in my opinion. Now, almost two years (and no buyers) later, it seems to me that the purchase price should be significantly lower.
• I have a vested interest in wanting to see the area remain green space since I live very close by, so I'm definitely not a disinterested observer. 
• The village council has created and maintained a very open, transparent process for making this decision (I should know--I made it to most of the Park Exploratory Committee meetings). They have heard pros and cons on this issue and are currently trying to get a more complete handle on costs, especially on-going maintenance costs. To my mind, this is how government should work. Whatever decision they end up making, I am confident they will have acted in what they consider the best interest of the village.
• Everyone has their own ideas about what government should be involved in. I think there is a role, especially at the local level, for elected officials to consider quality-of-life issues for their communities, and for me, parks fit into that quality-of-life category. 

So, bottom line, no final decision yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Schedule of upcoming council meetings on park decision

Over the next weeks, the Flat Rock Village Council will hold several meetings to discuss whether or not the village should purchase the Highland Lake Golf Club and develop it into a village park: one is a special meeting called just for that purpose and two are regularly scheduled meetings that the council may use to continue this discussion. All meetings are, of course, open to the public.

• February 25, Monday, at 2:00 p.m. - special meeting
• March 4, Monday, at 9:30 a.m. - regular monthly agenda meeting
• March 14, Thursday, at 9:30 a.m. - regular monthly council meeting

Mark your calendars!

Carl Sandburg home seeks volunteer tour guides

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is seeking volunteers to provide guided tours of the historic Sandburg home or to assist with education programs.

House tour volunteers will generally lead 30-minute guided tours of the historic home to general park visitors. Education volunteers will be trained in leading school and adult groups on a variety of programs including house tours, barn tours, poetry writing activities and more....

A volunteer orientation will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information and to register, please call the park's Education Coordinator, Ginger Cox, at 828-693-4178.

Read it all.

T-N editorial: Flat Rock should act on park plan

From today's editorial page at the Times-News:

The Village of Flat Rock should move on the opportunity to buy the Highland Lake Golf Club to create the village’s first public park.

Flat Rock Village Council members voiced support for the concept Thursday but expressed concerns over annual maintenance costs that could run from $160,000 to $170,000. They set a special meeting for 2 p.m. Feb. 25 to continue the discussion.

There are several reasons the village should move to buy the property.

First, a majority of residents who have taken the time to comment say they would like to see the village develop a “passive-use park” with walking trails but no ballfields. An exploratory committee formed to investigate the idea recommended the village buy the property. Through a very open process, the committee gave residents ample opportunity to comment. Among more than 330 emails, phone calls and survey responses from Flat Rock residents, 67 percent supported the village developing a park, while 22 percent objected, Councilman Dave Bucher said....

Read it all. And a reminder, the Times-News Online has moved to a pay system. If you are already a print subscriber, you can register for online access. If you aren't already a print subscriber, you have a couple of options (I hope I have these right):

• You will be able to view 5 stories a month at no cost.
• You can subscribe to the digital only option.
• You can subscribe to the print/digital option.

NCDOT awards $1.3 Million to replace bridges in Flat Rock

From the Times-News:

The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $1.3 million contract to Devere Construction Co. of Alpena, Mich. to replace the bridges on Little River Road over Mud Creek near Flat Rock.

The bridges were built in the 1960s and need to be replaced due to their age and condition, the NCDOT said in a news release.

One of the bridges is considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. That means it is still safe, but has been in deteriorating condition and was built to bridge-design standards that are no longer used, the release says.

Work can start as early as March 15 and is scheduled for completion by Oct. 1....

Read it all. And if you want to keep up with the project as it goes forward, you can check the NCDOT Project Details page (although I'm not sure how often they update this since it doesn't yet show that the project has been awarded).

Chip Worrell tries (and misses) again...

*Sigh* . . .  Chip Worrell tries (and misses) again:

To: The citizenry in Flat Rock Village.

A few months ago, you could have had a free park where Highland Lake golf course now stands. The only thing the county and the soccer association wanted was to let kids play soccer games there 20-25 days a year.

Now I see where the debate is on how much more than a million dollars it is going to cost the village. Seems like a high price to pay just to keep the riff-raff out. You have my sympathies.

Sincerely,
Chip

Okay, where to start the fisking?

A few months ago, you could have had a free park where Highland Lake golf course now stands.

And this statement illustrates perfectly why our country is in the financial shape it's in now. No one would have had a "free park." Henderson County taxpayers, including those in Flat Rock, would have paid $1.1 million for the land and who knows how many millions more to develop the soccer complex. If anything, the residents of Flat Rock saved Henderson County taxpayers millions of dollars.

The only thing the county and the soccer association wanted was to let kids play soccer games there 20-25 days a year.

This is patently untrue.

Yes, the county and the Henderson County Soccer Association (HCSA) talked about "only" 20-25 tournament days, the days when there would be the most traffic, noise, and congestion because of the regional influx of players and their families, but the plan was always to have local soccer groups using the fields year-round for practice and local games. Why would the county have wanted to spend millions for only 25 days of play a year?

Now I see where the debate is on how much more than a million dollars it is going to cost the village.

You know, there's great concept out there called subsidiarity:

Subsidiarity is the idea that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority. Any central authority should perform only those things that cannot be performed effectively at a more local level. Henderson County here is the more central, larger authority with the Village of Flat Rock as the smaller and more local authority. Local municipalities (which Flat Rock has been legally since its 1995 incorporation) should control as much as possible what goes on inside their own municipal boundaries. From a governmental perspective, subsidiarity better represents the authority closest to the people and therefore is most reflective of local will.

The fact that the village of Flat Rock wants to control what happens inside its municipal boundaries, especially on such a visible piece of property as the Highland Lake Golf Club as an entrance into the village, is exactly what local governments should be doing.

The final decision on whether to purchase the property has yet to be made and there are concerns about the costs, especially the on-going maintenance costs, but if the village decides to spend the money to buy and develop a park, it is their decision. If that is what the residents think will enhance their quality of life, then they, and only they, are responsible for financing it. The village is not asking the county or any other governmental agency to shoulder the costs. This is called responsible government.

Seems like a high price to pay just to keep the riff-raff out.

And this is just rude.

Does Mr. Worrell think soccer players are riff-raff? If the village decides to create a park on the golf course space, it will be a public park, open to all. To imply otherwise is defamatory and beneath a journalist.

You have my sympathies.

We appreciate your concern, but don't worry about us. The village of Flat Rock has put in place a very transparent and open process to make this decision and we'll be just fine, whichever way the decision goes.

Henderson County Soccer Association leases land for new playing fields

From the Times-News, more on the Henderson County Soccer Association's lease of property:

With funding help from Park Ridge Health, the Henderson County Soccer Association has negotiated a lease-to-buy contract to create a multipurpose athletic park on the former site of Jake's Driving Range on Asheville Highway.

The “Park Ridge Health Family Athletic Park” will be developed on a 20.78-acre parcel now owned by Mike Justice, who recently closed the driving range started by his father, Jake, 43 years ago. The park will feature a walking trail, picnic area, playground and enough room to accommodate four full-sized soccer fields.

“It is our intention for the facility to be a hub of community outings,” said Association President John Strickland, a local dentist.

Park Ridge Health has already committed $50,000 for “startup capital” and is also paying for the playground, Strickland said. Developing the playing fields, trail and picnic area will cost about $100,000.

“We will have to grade, level and crown the fields,” Strickland said. “We will have to install drainage to keep standing water off the fields. We will then ‘sprig' the fields with Bermuda grass to produce the optimal playing surface. In the future, we hope to have artificial turf, but at present, the cost of this is prohibitive.”...

The association serves an average of 1,200 kids each year, including players ages 5 through 18 in recreation, academy, challenge and classic level teams. The group currently has 11 travel teams made up of 150-200 players....

Anyone interested in donating towards the new soccer and recreational facility can contact the association at hcsasoccer@gmail.com.

Read it all.

Flat Rock leaders back park proposal, consider tax increase

A report on today's council meeting from the Times-News:

Members of the Flat Rock Village Council voiced overall support for a proposed municipal park Thursday, but expressed concern about how to pay for the estimated $160,000 to $170,000 in annual maintenance costs the park would require.

Weighing in on the matter publicly for the first time during Thursday’s monthly meeting, the council scheduled a special-called public meeting for 2 p.m. Feb. 25 to continue its discussion regarding the potential purchase of the Highland Lake Golf Club property for development of a future Highland Lake Park....

Read it all.

Flat Rock Village Council wants details on yearly park cost

Today's village council meeting included discussion of the Flat Rock Park Exploratory Committee report. The council also anticipates continuing discussions on the park decision at their regularly scheduled agenda meeting March 4 and their regularly scheduled council meeting March 14. They also plan to hold a special council meeting on Monday, February 25, at 2:00 p.m. for discussion on the park.

The primary concern seems to be what the on-going maintenance costs of the park would be in terms of the village's long-term financial forecast. 

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The Flat Rock Village Council, in its first public discussion reacting to a proposed park at the Highland Lake Golf Course property, indicated conditional support of the idea while raising questions about the yearly maintenance cost.

"I'm in favor of pursuing this," said Vice Mayor Nick Weedman. "The initial capital investment and initial development of the park can be handled within our existing financial structure."

The ongoing cost, he added, is another question and one that the council needs to try to answer. Council members focused on two main options for park maintenance: contracting with Henderson County or hiring a private contractor....

Mayor Bob Staton said the council has some time to research and deliberate. The council set a public meeting for 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, to look in more detail at the plans, the annual operating costs and options for handling that....

Read it all.

Found it! "Study to help tourism authority on occupancy tax"

Thanks to the Henderson County Library reference desk, I have found the article on the occupancy tax that I was looking for. The story was printed on January 24 and it wasn't on the main front page, but on the Community section front page. It's not available online for some reason (the Times-News is usually very good about posting their articles) so I'm going to copy it below.

The research study is expected to be completed in April so I'm guessing that the county commissioners will not act on the occupancy tax issue until at least then.

Study to help tourism authority on occupancy tax
By Nathaniel Axtell
Times-News Staff Writer

Consultants began a travel and tourism research study this week that will help the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority determine whether or not to recommend raising the county's occupancy tax by 1 percent.

State legislators gave county commissioners the power last year to increase the room tax from 5 percent to 6 percent, with proceeds directed toward the Flat Rock Playhouse. But commissioners delayed acting on the matter until the TDA weighed in.

Authority members are reserving judgement on the occupancy tax issue until they get the preliminary results of a benchmark travel and tourism research study in April. It's being conducted by consultant Young Strategies Inc. of Charlotte.

Company president Berkeley Young and N.C. State University professor Larry Gustke were in town this week to begin collecting data for their study, which is designed to help the TDA focus its marketing efforts.

The researchers met with local retailers, lodging providers and other tourism-related businesses at the inaugural Henderson County Tourism Conference Wednesday at Blue Ridge Community College.

"Our focus in this research study is to help you as a board and as a community understand there's lots of things you can do, and everybody has great ideas, but how can you use research and statistics to determine where you'll get the biggest bang for your buck?" Young said during the TDA meeting Tuesday.

Young, former director of Rutherford County's tourism authority, said one component of the research will look at lodging occupancy, which he said should help the TDA in its report to commissioners. One of their chief goals, he said, is to identify "when do we have empty beds in which to put heads?"

The county's accommodations industry is so diverse, Young said, that his company will develop separate questionnaires "so we make sure we understand the cabins and rental market versus the bed & breakfast/inn market, versus the hotel/motel market."

Young's company will also collect email addresses from county visitors when they visit local accommodations or attractions and ask them to complete an online survey. Visitors can win one of three $100 Visa gift cards for participating, he said.

Flat Rock council awards sidewalk bid

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Work should begin by spring on a new sidewalk in Flat Rock.

Cooper Construction Co. won a $272,000 contract to build a half-mile sidewalk along West Blue Ridge Road from the Mill House Lodge to Little Rainbow Row in Flat Rock....

Read it all.

Six months is up. . .

Remember this from August, 2012?

An issue one Henderson County commissioner said has "polarized" the community came to no definitive conclusion Wednesday, as the vote to raise the county's occupancy tax by 1 percent was delayed for at least six more months. . . .

Well, six months is up.

I know I saw an article in the Times-News in January about the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority gathering information on this issue (front page, below the fold), but I can't find it online, so I'm stumped until I get to the library and access the microfiche or whatever is used these days.

Really?? In this day and age?? Microfiche?? Unfortunately, yes.

Flat Rock park could cost $1.6 million to develop

A report in the Times-News on the presentation to the village council by the Flat Rock park exploratory committee this past Monday:

Development of a municipal park at Highland Lake Golf Club would cost about $1.6 million, excluding the purchase price, the Flat Rock Park Exploratory Committee told village council Monday.

Members of the 10-person committee, speaking in a packed village hall, said those costs would include construction of a variety of amenities and should be paid for in phases. Their final report included operational and maintenance costs, traffic and parking issues, a new entrance, hours of operation, security and other areas, including possible grant funding.

The meeting was held to share the committee's findings, and council members made no decisions on the costs or recommendations....

Read it all.

Flat Rock Park Exploratory Committee report now online

Yesterday, the Flat Rock Park Exploratory Committee presented their report to the village council. That report is now online on the village website, so take a look.

My understanding is that you can also call the village office and request a hard copy at $4.00 cost for printing--the report is 41 pages.

The report was presented by Ginger Brown, chair of the committee, with additional information presented by committee members Ed Lastein and Albert Gooch, to a full house. After the presentation, Mayor Bob Staton said that the council needed time to thoroughly go through the report. The village is also still waiting on an appraisal of the Highland Lake Golf Club property. The mayor said that there will be at least two more public meetings/hearings before any decision is made on the property, so I'll keep you posted.

Henderson County Soccer Assoc has new home [Update]

Location of Jake's Driving Range (Google Maps)

Update: The story is now online:

...The [Henderson County Soccer Association], which has been trying for years to find a home for fields to serve some 1,500 young soccer players and their families, plans to build the park without taxpayer support, said Dr. John Strickland, a Hendersonville dentist who is president of the association. It's received a startup boost with a $50,000 pledge from Park Ridge Health.

"Everything with the park is going to be done with private or corporate donations," he said. "We're trying to get field sponsors. We want to try to do it on our own and help the soccer community without any bite being taken out of the city or county budget." The driving range became another victim of the bad economy and a drop in golf's popularity....

Read it all.

Reported in the print edition of the Hendersonville Lightning (sorry, no link), the Henderson County Soccer Association has leased the land that was Jake's Driving Range from Mike Justice. The association plans to build a 22-acre soccer park using private and corporate donations and without taxpayer funds. Park Ridge Health has already signed on as a primary sponsor. The soccer association hopes to add walking trails, a playground and picnic area for use by soccer families.

The article did not say how many soccer fields would be built or whether lights for night play are anticipated. Looking at the location (5423 Asheville Hwy, Hendersonville, NC), I see it's not too far from an I-26 exit and looks like it's surrounded by commercial space and farmland so it seems to be a location that could work for them.

Letter to the editor: Highland Lake park

From the Times-News, a letter from Jacqueline M. Polley of Flat Rock:

Residents of Flat Rock, a survey about the purchase of Highland Lake Golf Course for a park in Flat Rock indicated that most are in favor, but I have some questions:

1. Would you be in favor of the purchase if you knew it was in a flood plain and that the cost to buy, improve, operate, maintain and insure would increase your taxes?
2. Are you willing to share our park and its expenses with other residents, as its placement near shopping is inviting?
3. Are you willing to pay taxes for security protection, since we have no police force other than the sheriff?
4. Are you aware that noise from the park could be a disturbance to nearby churches?
5. Will use of the park increase traffic on Route 225 South, requiring this historic scenic byway to be widened?

I hope to see you at the presentation of the proposed Flat Rock Park at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the Flat Rock Village Hall.

Check it out.