88-acre Braewood property sold at auction

The auction for the Braewood property was December 10. From the Hendersonville Lightning:

An 88-acre tract of land that was once the site of proposed 121-home residential development sold at auction on Tuesday for just over $1 million.

A developer who bought the Braewood property visited Flat Rock Village Hall on Tuesday, the same day as the auction, to check on zoning and village development regulations, said Village Administrator Judy Boleman.

The Village of Flat Rock had authorized a 121-unit planned residential community on the undeveloped property in gently sloping woods on West Blue Ridge Road that would include walking trails, a 50 percent set-aside for open space and access to Jordan Lake. The property is across from Bonclarken between the Mill House Lodge and Flat Rock Middle School.

Hilton Swing and his father, Kenneth Swing, received a special-use permit in August 2007 toward the tail end of Henderson County's real estate building boom. The Braewood development never got off the ground. When the special-use permit expires on Jan. 1, the property will revert to R10, R20, and R40 residential zoning, which require quarter-acre, half-acre and one-acre lots respectively. . .

Read it all.

2014 Village Council meeting schedule

January - December 2014
Village of Flat Rock

Schedule of Meetings

Monday, December 30, Agenda Workshop

Friday, January 10, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, February 3, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, February 13, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, March 3, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, March 13, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, March 31, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, April 10, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, April 28, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, May 8, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, June 2, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, June 12, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, June 30, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, July 10, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, August 4, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, August 14, Monthly Council Meeting

Tuesday, September 2, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, September 11, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, September 29, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, October 9, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, November 3, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, November 13, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, December 1, Agenda Workshop

Thursday, December 11, Monthly Council Meeting

Monday, December 29, Agenda Workshop

All meeting locations are in the Flat Rock Village Hall unless otherwise dictated by space requirements or other circumstances.

All Monthly Council Meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month, unless that Thursday is a holiday, and start at 9:30 a.m.

Agenda Workshops also start at 9:30 a.m. and precede Monthly Council Meetings by 10 days, unless that Monday is a holiday.

Check the village council agenda and meeting minutes online here.

Any takers? Flat Rock seeks bids for removing buildings

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The Village of Flat Rock is seeking bids for someone to remove two buildings from its new park property at the former Highland Lake Golf Club.

The Village Council has determined that it will have no use for the old Course Doctors office and the cart barn when it makes improvements to the 66-acre park.

"If anyone would like to have them, if they would dismantle them and take them away, that would be the best of all worlds for the Village," Mayor Bob Staton said. "We need to dispose of the two buildings."

Engineers say that the concrete floor of the cart barn can be used for the pavilion the village plans as part of the phase 1 improvements. Moving of the building "must be undertaken with caution so as not to damage the concrete floor," the village said in a legal notice seeking bids for the buildings' removal. . .

Read it all.

Public hearings on Flat Rock village council agenda for December 12

Some highlights on the upcoming regular monthly Flat Rock village council meeting on Thursday, December 12, at 9:30 a.m., which will include the following public hearings:

• Ordinance No. 86, Capital Projects Budget Ordinance, The Park at Flat Rock 
• Ordinance No. 87, Amended Historic Landmarks Designation 
• Ordinance Historic Landmark Designation for Beaumont 

Under Old Business, the agenda lists a financial update on the Flat Rock Playhouse. Should be interesting. 

Talk about possible occupancy tax increase to help FRP . . . again?

For those with short memories, July, 2012, saw heated discussion by the Henderson County commissioners, lodge owners, and citizens about the idea of increasing the occupancy tax by one percent, and designating that increase to the Flat Rock Playhouse. In August, 2012, the county commissioners tabled the idea of increasing the tax at that time and said they would revisit the idea in six months. In February, 2013 (six months later), the Flat Rock Playhouse asked the county commissioners to drop the idea of a tax increase, opting instead to concentrate on a new "Stay & Play" partnership with the Tourism Development Authority (TDA).

Now, as part of the agreement between the county commissioners and the TDA (from the Times-News):

TDA Chairman Shannon Clarke told his board Tuesday that county leaders have agreed to grant the TDA full discretion over spending of room tax revenues — including half a percent currently funneled to the museum — in return for a capped $80,000 to $100,000 annual lease on the county-owned Visitor Center building. . .

Moreover, Clarke said [Henderson County] commissioners have agreed to allow the TDA control over spending an additional 1 percent of occupancy tax allowed by state law but not levied yet. Only commissioners can increase or decrease the occupancy tax, he said, but “they will not do it without our request.”

“Now, if we’re seeing that we’re not creating enough revenue to compete with counties around us, then we’d also make a request for them to increase it by a half or 1 percent,” Clarke said.

He suggested possible beneficiaries of extra room tax proceeds, including a wayfinding (signage) program and the Flat Rock Playhouse. In September, TDA board members rejected a proposal to renew a $25,000 “Stay and Play” program involving the purchase of Playhouse tickets, which were distributed to accommodations as lodging incentives.

On Tuesday, Clarke proposed another way for the TDA to support the Playhouse, which he said draws many visitors to the county but has lost several hundred thousand dollars in local governmental support this year. He suggested the TDA become a “season sponsor” for Playhouse productions, valued at $25,000 but subject to negotiation. . .

But board member Brenda Ramer questioned why the theater has not provided the TDA with “any kind of strategic plan, in how they’re going to fix their own issues other than to keep asking for money in different ways.”. . .

The Playhouse funding issue was tabled until the board could digest the results of a tourism study they were getting from consultant Young Strategies Inc. That study shows the Playhouse ranked seventh in “visitor attractions” among 1,350 survey respondents, behind Main Street shopping, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Carl Sandburg Home and Chimney Rock State Park, among others.

Read it all. And more on the consultant's study is here.

Dean’s Deli in Flat Rock has new owners

This time, a story in the Times-News about the new owners of Dean's Deli:

Shannon Zlacki said that as soon as she saw the deli and other shops on Rainbow Row near the Flat Rock Playhouse, “We thought, ‘Oh my gosh! This is the cutest, quaintest little town. If we were on vacation we would definitely come to Flat Rock. We enjoy kayaking and biking. The mountains are beautiful and the people here are so friendly.”

On Nov. 1, Shannon Zlacki’s birthday, [Dustin and Shannon] sold their home in Pittsburgh and bought Dean’s.

The Deans have spent the week training the Zlackis on the ins and outs of running the business. Kathy Dean has also been sharing family recipes for the deli’s most popular sandwiches. They include “The Big Mamma,” a turkey and bacon sandwich; “Kathy’s Club,” which includes ham, cheese, turkey and bacon; and “Ed’s Big Mouth,” which is named after Kathy Dean’s father and includes provolone cheese, ham and lots of salami. . .

Dustin Zlacki said that for now, not much will change, but the couple are considering a few options. . .

Read it all. An earlier post on the new owners is here.

Flat Rock taking possession of park land Friday

Just as an FYI--while Flat Rock takes possession of the park on Friday (November 15), the park will not be open to the public for walking until sometime in mid-December. From the Hendersonville Lightning:

One day before the Flat Rock takes possession of its new 67-acre park land, the Village Council decided that it needed to hold a workshop to order priorities for park development.

The council has been talking about acquiring the former Highland Lake Golf Club property for 14 months. It closed on the $1.1 million purchase in July and allocated $832,000 last spring for park development in the current budget year. It adopted a master plan for development and set out a phase 1 of improvements. Part of that seem to unravel Thursday when council members debated what exactly should happen first. Before the council started discussing plans for the 67 acres along Highland Lake Road, CPA Carl Shaw suggested that the council segregate park spending in a capital project ordinance. . .

[Vice Mayor Nick] Weedman's comments drew the council into a few minutes of friction, a rarity in Flat Rock, where political accord and smooth operations are the usual order. Weedman suggested that the council still needed to set its priorities. Mayor Bob Staton and Councilman Dave Bucher countered that the council had already done that. It adopted a master plan in a special meeting earlier this month and decided that the first phase would include a new entrance, a perimeter walking trail and restroom and pavilion. Weedman said he is not sure a new entrance, reconfigured parking lot or lighting are needed. The village might be better off, he said, waiting to see how much the park is used. . .

Read it all.

Little River Road will reopen Friday, DOT says

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The new bridge over Mud Creek is expected to open by Friday night (Nov. 15), the DOT says, opening up the 4-mile length of heavily traveled Little River Road for the first time since March.

A contractor was finishing up roadway paving on the new bridge on Little River Road in Flat Rock this week. The DOT's website projects that the bridge will open by 7 p.m. Friday. The DOT had made opening projections of Oct. 1 and Oct. 15. . .

Read it all.

New owners for Dean's Deli

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Like Kathy and Richard Dean before them, Shannon and Dustin Zlacki decided to uproot from home, buy a business in little Flat Rock, N.C., and work side by side long hours six days a week.

The difference is the Zlackis don't have to build the business from the ground up. The couple has bought Dean's Market and Deli from the proprietors who made it what is today — a popular hangout for retirees and a few working folks and a place to grab a homemade biscuit, cup of soup or sandwich. It's the leading food market in the Village of Flat Rock. Well, it's the only food market in Flat Rock. "We were looking for a change," Shannon Zlacki said. . .

Shannon says she plans to keep the same menu. Kathy Dean is sharing recipes, and both Deans are staying on to train the new owners and introduce them to regular customers for the next two weeks. Shannon promises a few Pittsburgh specialties, including chopped ham barbecue and French fries on sandwiches. . .

Read it all.

Fall falling. . .

I didn't think the leaves were as pretty this year as last. All the yellows were brown(ish), but some of the reds were very nice. Just a few from last week on the Japanese maple next door. . .all gone now. . .

GOP chair Andrew Riddle to challenge Mike Edney for county commissioner

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Henderson County Republican Party chair Andrew Riddle plans to run against Michael Edney next year for the District 1 seat on the Board of Commissioners.

"I'm going to have three issues to my platform, which I'm still finalizing," he said. "I'm definitely going to run against Mike Edney."

A building contractor, Riddle, 37, lives in Flat Rock Forest. He and his wife, Denise, have four young daughters. . .

Read it all. Mike Edney currently represents District 1, which includes Flat Rock. You may remember his comments at the December 5, 2011, county commissioners meeting when the final vote was taken to terminate the county's option on the Highland Lake Golf Club/soccer complex deal. As I wrote then (Mr. Edney's exact words in quotes):

Mike Edney: Considered Flat Rock’s response somewhat “shameful” and that people say those in Flat Rock “get lost once they get past Fresh Market” (they're not interested in being part of Henderson County)

Know the ten rules of land use

I saw this in the Henderson County Planning Department and thought it was clever, so enjoy!

Know the Ten Rules of Land Use

These ten truisms are offered by the Staff of the Henderson County Planning Department to anyone considering buying land in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

1. Never assume that undeveloped land in your neighborhood will always remain so. Unless you own it, count on something else being built there. 
2. Water runs down hill. Unless you live at the top, you will probably experience stormwater runoff problems.
3. The winter sun rises low in the sky. If you must live on the side of a mountain, always choose the south side. 
4. Not all land is zoned. If property near you is not zoned, then think of the most obnoxious use conceivable and picture it in your community.
5. If you are not native to this county, whatever attracted you here will likely attract others. This phenomenon is known as growth.
6. Land values are driven by supply and demand. Taxes are based on land value. These things change.
7. There are significant difference between public and private roads. If you must live on a private road, be prepared to pay for it. 
8. Wells and septic tanks tend to fail. Make no mistake about this.
9. If your land is so located that it is safe from annexation or incorporation, it is probably a prime candidate for a landfill, prison, utility tower, quarry or reservoir.
10. In land use issues, the common good usually prevails. Never assume that you know what the common good is. 

November 5 election info, including change in voting location

Don't forget to vote Tuesday, November 5, for the three village council seats up for election. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can find a sample ballot here, and instructions for voting by absentee ballot here.

Also, there has been a change in voting location for those Flat Rock residents who normally vote at the Amory. For the November 5 election, they will vote in the Flat Rock Precinct (at the Flat Rock Village Hall at 110 Village Center Drive).

If you have any questions, you can reach the Henderson County Board of Elections at 828.697.4970.

Flat Rock High School to mark history this Saturday

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Green River native and nationally renowned author Robert Morgan will speak, alumni can thumb through a book listing every graduate from 1925 to 1960 and all can join hands and sing the alma mater when people gather to celebrate the old Flat Rock High School on Saturday. . .

The event will also include historic photos of the school, school memorabilia and a tribute to E.L. Justus (1900-1994), who was principal from 1932 to 1960 and then served as EHHS principal for its first nine years.. .

The Flat Rock recognition is part of a series of history commemorations sponsored by the Henderson County Education History Initiative.

Flat Rock High School Historic Marker Celebration
Saturday, Oct. 5
2-4 p.m.
Flat Rock Middle School
Emcee: Charles Thomas
Speaker: Robert Morgan

Read it all.

Public hearing set on rezoning of golf course property for park

FYI: the October Village Council meeting will be held Thursday, October 10, at 9:30 a.m. There are three public hearings scheduled during that meeting on three different issues:

1. Ordinance No. 81, Historic Landmarks Designation for Dunroy     
2. Ordinance No. 82, Amendment of Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
3. Ordinance No. 83, Rezoning and Zoning Map Change for Highland Lake Golf Course

The village council will vote on changing the zoning for the golf course property from its current zoning of R-20 to GCPS (Government, Civic and Public Service District), which would allow it to become a park. You can take a look at the GCPS information in section 813 of the Flat Rock Land Development Ordinance (pages 42-43 of the printed copy).   

*Sigh, sniff*. . .the golf course is gone

I meant to post this on Sunday but forgot. From the Times-News:

The end of September will mark the end of one era for a Flat Rock recreational facility and usher in the beginning of another.

On Sept. 30, Highland Lake Golf Club is closing permanently and will begin its transition into a municipal park for the Village of Flat Rock.

“I would like to thank the community for all of the support that we have gotten over the 19 years that we have owned the course.

“This is the end of an era in the county. We have gotten to see a lot of enjoyment here over the years,” said Highland Lake's owner Jim Sparks.

At an April 29 meeting, the Flat Rock Village Council approved to purchase the 66-acre Highland Lake Golf Club and the buildings for use as a “passive park.”. . .

Read it all. I have to say, I really wish it could have remained a golf course, but there are so many golf courses for sale that there just doesn't seem to be a big enough market for them or enough buyers. Having the area become a low-impact, passive park is the next best thing, I suppose, but it will look and feel different.

Oh well, the only thing constant is change.

Sandburg goats win at mountain fair

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Shamrock and Shadow, Toggenburg dairy goats from Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, won first and second place respectively for Best in Class, intermediate doe kid class, at the North Carolina Mountain State Fair on Sept. 7.

The does are a seventh generation descendents from Lillian Sandburg's champion Toggenburg Jennifer II, who in 1960 earned a Top Toggenburg World Record for milk production. Mrs. Sandburg was often recognized for her accomplishments as a champion goat breeder and these goats winning awards fifty years later with the same genes is a testament to her legacy. The goats were shown at the competition by youth volunteers Evan and Mara Shook. . .

Youth from the site's volunteer program are selected each year to compete at the fair. They form the group of volunteers known as Flat Rock Exceptional Sandburg Helpers, or FRESH, which assists with farm chores and provides visitor information. . .

Read it all.

Hornets' nest soon to be gone

Awwww, I was kinda' getting used to it, but. . .already on its way out, I suppose:

The hornets' nest or wasp nest has been visible for several weeks on the traffic signal facing Highland Lake Drive where it tees it into Greenville Highway. The traffic light is still working despite the busy work in the lower right corner of the device.

"They're not too particular about where they build, whether it's in a tree or a stoplight or wherever," said Marvin Owings, the director the Henderson County Cooperation Extension Service and a longtime farm agent. "The question we normally get is how to get rid of them.". . .

The state Department of Transportation last week sprayed the nest with wasp killer and will come back, probably next week, to take it down, a traffic engineer said.

The DOT crew responded to calls about the nest last week, said Roger Ayers, a deputy traffic engineer for Division 14. The Hendersonville Lighthing reported a story on its website Wednesday about the nest and had not been able to reach the DOT. It turns out that the crew sprayed the nest. . .

Read it all.

More on the Flat Rock Park grant

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The Village of Flat Rock has won a $475,000 grant that will cover just under half the purchase price of the town's new park.

The office of Gov. Pat McCrory notified village officials on Monday that the state had approved the town's application. The village council agreed to buy the Highland Lake Golf Club property for $1.15 million. The state Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant will cover a January payment of $475,000, Mayor Robert Staton said. . .

The Village Council on Thursday authorized landscape architect Ed Lastein to proceed with the first phase of park improvements, which includes a new entrance and a new lower parking lot, rest rooms and a walking trail. The Village Council allocated $487,000 in its current budget for park construction. . .

Read it all.

Flat Rock gets $475K grant for new park

Great news! From the Times-News:

The village of Flat Rock got word Monday that the N.C. Parks and Recreation Authority has approved a $475,000 grant to put toward the village’s purchase of Highland Lake Golf Course for a municipal park. . .

[Mayor Bob Staton] said he was pleasantly surprised by the grant’s approval, since the village’s park project was initially put on a waiting list. He said the village was told in June the Parks and Recreation Authority was holding off to see how the state budget shook out.

“From the scuttlebutt we got, we were encouraged we would get an award, but the surprise was it was for the full amount we had applied for,” said Staton, who praised the grant writing help given the village by Rebekah Robinson, administrative director of the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. . .

Read it all.