ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County commissioners approved a grant for new flood-resilient river access, advanced two Woodfin greenway projects and backed a planned $31.3 million expansion by an Enka manufacturer during their Aug. 4 meeting.

The board also approved the county’s annual property tax settlement and recognized seven national awards received by Buncombe County.

New river access planned at 3 parks

Commissioners accepted $284,368 from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund’s Helene Recovery Fund for the Buncombe County River Access Enhancement Project.

The project will replace vulnerable, informal river access with three ADA-accessible, flood-resilient boat launches at Bent Creek River Park, Glen Bridge River Park and Hominy Creek River Park.

County Parks and Recreation officials said the need for improved river access became particularly clear during Tropical Storm Helene, when emergency crews and recovery workers had limited access to the French Broad River.

The new launches are expected to improve recreational access while also providing better access for search-and-rescue operations and future disaster recovery work.

The county has already budgeted $163,638 for the Glen Bridge River Park boat launch replacement and committed $120,730 in FEMA Public Assistance funds for recovery work at Hominy Creek River Park.

No additional county funding is required for the grant.

Parks and Recreation will work with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and FEMA on design and construction. The Wildlife Commission is providing construction drawings at no cost to the county for the Bent Creek and Glen Bridge projects.

Woodfin greenway project advances

Commissioners also approved an addendum to a 2017 interlocal agreement with the Town of Woodfin that moves two French Broad River greenway projects closer to construction.

The agreement covers greenway sections along N.C. 251 and Beaverdam Creek.

Under the updated agreement, Buncombe County will handle easements, engineering, permitting, construction administration and construction of the two sections. Once complete, ownership of the greenway and related easements will be transferred to Woodfin, which will be responsible for maintaining the greenway as public property.

Woodfin also agreed to complete phases one and two of Riverside Park, ensure the greenway connects through the park, restore Silver Line Park and construct new restrooms there.

The projects are about 65 percent designed.

County staff said right-of-way acquisition is expected to begin in August for the N.C. 251 section and in September for Beaverdam Creek. About 22 individual properties will require easements, and the process is expected to take about a year.

The county anticipates reaching 90 percent design in August 2027, followed by construction bidding in the fall of 2027. Construction is expected to take about 16 to 18 months.

Commission Chair Amanda Edwards thanked county staff and Woodfin for continuing to move the project forward despite the disruption caused by Helene.

“I know that this has been a long time coming and that Helene was something that definitely was a challenge to get through,” Edwards said. “And yet your determination and partnership with the town of Woodfin has allowed us to keep moving this forward.”

Edwards said the project will add to the county’s greenway network and give residents more opportunities to use trails along the French Broad River.

Southeastern Container plans $31.3 million expansion

Commissioners authorized the county manager to participate in a state Building Reuse Grant program supporting Southeastern Container’s planned expansion at the Enka Commerce Park.

The company announced in February that it plans to invest $31.3 million and create 12 full-time jobs at its Buncombe County facility.

The new jobs are expected to pay an average of $32.90 per hour, according to county officials. Southeastern Container currently employs 96 people at its Enka facility.

The project has been awarded a $100,000 Building Reuse grant through the North Carolina Department of Commerce, which requires a $5,000 local match.

The county also expects to consider a separate economic development incentive package for the project, with a public hearing scheduled for Aug. 18.

Josh Hollingsworth, the county’s economic development director, said the state grant gives Buncombe County an opportunity to leverage a program that generally has not been available to the county.

Buncombe County collects 99.66% of property taxes

Commissioners approved Buncombe County’s annual property tax settlement for fiscal 2026 and adopted an order authorizing collection of fiscal 2027 property taxes.

The county’s regular property tax collection rate stood at 99.66 percent as of June 30, up from 99.54 percent at the end of fiscal 2025.

The regular net levy totaled about $272.4 million, with approximately $920,459 remaining uncollected at the end of the fiscal year.

The county also identified 143 personal property tax bills totaling about $128,297 as uncollectible. The bills affected tax years from 2018 through 2020, with the bulk from 2020.

Buncombe recognized with 7 national awards

County officials also celebrated seven 2026 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties, including the county’s first Best in Category award.

The top award recognized the Health and Human Services department’s staff development training program, which provides an online resource for Economic Services employees covering programs including Medicaid and SNAP.

County officials said the training resource is also being used by more than 74 counties across North Carolina.

Other awards recognized the county’s tax assessment appeal clinics, ambulance fleet resiliency efforts, response to a SNAP disruption, employee outreach and wellness programs, and mental health support following Helene.

The awards were presented during NACo’s annual conference in July.

A-B Tech Future’s Factory grant

Commissioners were also briefed on a $29.4 million Economic Development Administration grant awarded to A-B Tech Community College for the planned Future’s Factory. Buncombe County was a co-applicant on the project.

County officials said the project is expected to serve as a hub for research and development, advanced manufacturing and technology, with a focus on job recovery following Helene.

The project is expected to take three to five years.

The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 18.