As we plan our summer gardens, the challenges of growing tomatoes here in Western North Carolina come to mind.  In our newest video, Master Gardener Phil Roudebush will help us maximize our yields of these luscious fruits.  He will talk about tomato varieties and how to successfully control diseases through cultural practices and appropriate chemical usage.  Phil has years of experience with tomatoes and you are sure to learn something new.

This month, Asheville GreenWorks will deploy four new self-serve clean-up stations at area libraries. Each station will be stocked with supplies that individuals can check out to run their own clean-ups.   Locations: Enka/Candler Library 1404 Sand Hill Rd, Candler, NC 28715   Swannanoa Library 101 W Charleston Ave, Swannanoa, NC 28778   Weaverville Library 41 N Main St, Weaverville, NC 28787   Skyland/South Asheville Library 260 Overlook Rd, Asheville, NC 28803   Library staff will NOT maintain these boxes. Please direct all questions or requests to [email protected]

Stories from the House is a virtual tour of our 1840s-era brick mansion as seen through the eyes of many of the people who walked these same hallways over a century ago and whose stories represent a microcosm of the history of western North Carolina. In 1918 vs. 2020, we took an in-depth look at the 1918 influenza epidemic in Western North Carolina through newspaper clippings, advertisements, ephemera, photographs, and oral history and place the events of 1918 into context with our present-day response to the coronavirus pandemic. Old Shiloh was one of Asheville’s first communities established by emancipated people. The community moved to its present-day location – New Shiloh – after George Vanderbilt, in an effort to expand his land holdings as he planned to build his Biltmore Estate, purchased the land and buildings and agreed to relocate the Shiloh church and cemetery.

If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.

The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility requirements

Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.

For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.

The 2022 appeal period is open now. During the year of the reappraisal, or any year of the reappraisal cycle, a taxpayer may appeal the appraised value of their property. No matter how thorough and fair a reappraisal may be, there are still instances when only the property owner has all the information necessary for an accurate appraisal. Informal appeals for 2022 can be filed anytime between Jan. 1-April 20, 2022. Additionally, anyone receiving a change of value notice after April 20, 2022 has thirty days from the date of the notice to file an appeal.

Step One: Starting an Informal Appeal

An informal appeal is the first step in the appeal process.  Buncombe County Property Assessment has created a new suite of online tools to help make the appeal process easier. A taxpayer may begin the informal appeal process now by clicking on this link taxappeal.buncombecounty.org.

According to NC General Statutes, the property owner has the burden of proving that the property under appeal is incorrectly valued. The amount of your tax bill or ability to pay the tax cannot be used as a valid reason for submitting an appeal. The value of your property has been developed from sales and cost data within your local area. If the you believe this value is incorrect, please provide our office with a valid reason(s) to adjust the assessment (i.e. recent appraisal within the last 2 years, comparable sales of similar homes in the neighborhood or surrounding area, photos of the dwelling to show repair/maintenance issues, etc.).

A property owner appealing the property value of the property should start the appeal process online, or contact our office at (828) 250-4940 to request an appeal form by mail. The appeal form must be returned and/or postmarked, including your supporting documentation, within 30 days of the date listed on the appeal form. The appeal should include information to support the property owner’s opinion of value. Our appraisal professionals are here to help you through the appeal process. For appraisal purposes, Buncombe County is divided into multiple geographical areas. You can find the contact information of the appraiser for your area on the notice of value letter received in the mail, or by calling our office at (828) 250-4940.

The health and safety of our community and employees is our priority, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, assessment staff is available via Live Chat, or you can schedule a phone conference or virtual appointment by calling (828) 250-4940. Your concerns and questions are important to us, and our team is committed to handling your appeal as quickly as possible.

Should a property owner have any additional questions or need help with a property appeal, please contact our office at (828) 250-4940 or email [email protected].

The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County (PSABC) was formed in 1976, with interest in preservation sparked by observance of the U. S. Bicentennial, and in response to threats to local buildings and sites posed by neglect, insensitive alteration, and large-scale transportation projects. Disinvestment in downtown, plans for the open cut through Beaucatcher Mountain, and a proposal to turn Montford Avenue into a through street connecting to U.S.19-23 spurred formation of the volunteer group, which quickly incorporated and initiated work as a community non-profit.

Online Education Programs

If you are able, consider making a donation to our Community Funded Ticket program, which provides no-cost tickets to our live events to those who could not afford to attend. Donate Here Vaccines and Public Health in WNC: Past and Present In this two-hour event, three historians discuss previous epidemics, pandemics, and public health campaigns in WNC and Appalachia, including the 1918 flu, smallpox, and polio, as well as the community and government efforts to combat these crises. These historians are followed by an immunologist and a virologist—both professors of biology at Appalachian State University— who present information on Covid-19 variants as well as data on lives saved by vaccines. Watch Now The Brevard Rosenwald School Betty J. Reed discusses her research into the Brevard Rosenwald School and other segregated schools in WNC. This school, also funded by Julius Rosenwald, served African American students in Transylvania County from c1923-1966 and, according to Reed, represents “a microcosm of Black education in southern Appalachia.” Reed, a native of Western North Carolina, is an independent scholar who has spent over twenty-five years researching the history of schools in the region, especially those functioning during the era of segregation. Watch Now Buncombe Co. Remembrance Project This project acknowledges the personal and community trauma inflicted on individuals of color after the Civil War, the Equal Justice Initiative’s research related to lynchings, and the three lynchings of record that occurred in Buncombe County, NC. Dr. Joseph Fox is a life-long educator, mentor, and community advocate. He has advocated for students of a darker hue for more than 30 years in his role as a community college instructor, as well as his role as a former Department Chair of Business Administration at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Watch Now

Hands On Asheville-Buncombe has teamed up with the WNC Chapter of Project Linus. Project Linus blankets provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. They are handcrafted by caring volunteers who want a child in crisis to know that someone cares about them. It is hoped that each blanket will become a treasured possession. The gifts of new handmade blankets and afghans lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers” provides a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups for the benefit of children. Blankets are given to the WNC Project Linus chapter for distribution by hospitals, social workers, or police.

Since this project is done from home,we ask volunteers to provide their own equipment and supplies.

As part of Buncombe County’s 2025 Strategic Plan, Permits & Inspections and Planning & Development are in the third phase of  the electronic plan submittal and review rollout for building permitting. “We started this process more than a year ago,” said Permits & Inspections Director Bob Haynes. “We’ve heard from our commercial builders that the portal has helped to streamline the permitting process and we are excited to offer this service to our residential builders as well.” The first phase of this implementation began in January 2021, and as of Monday, March 21, 2022, the residential permitting submittal process is also moving to the online portal. See details for submittal below.

Phase One (Complete)

• Planning & Development implemented a new permit case type called ‘Site Plan review’ (SPR) for all permit types (commercial and residential, etc.). Any development where there is new construction, or changes to the footprint of an existing structure now requires an SPR. The SPR permit must be approved prior to applying for your building permit.
• All commercial building plans must be submitted to the Building Permit Department in an electronic format and will be reviewed using electronic plan review software.

Phase Two (Complete)

• The requirement that SPR permits and commercial building plans be submitted through the Development & Permits Portal OR in person at 46 Valley St. Site Plan Permit applications will not be accepted through email to [email protected] after April 1, 2021.
• Please register for an account on the Buncombe County Development Permits and Licensing portal. Registration is required before submitting applications on our website.

Phase Three

• The requirement that SPR permits be submitted through the Development & Permits Portal  OR in person at 46 Valley St.
• The requirement that residential building plans must be submitted through the Development & Permits Portal OR in person at 30 Valley St.
• To upload your plans, please register for an account on the Buncombe County Development Permits and Licensing portal. Registration is required before uploading documents on our website.
• Residential Site Plan Permit applications will not be accepted through email to [email protected] after March 21, 2022.

Find more information at buncombecounty.org/permits or call the main Permits line at (828) 250-5360. Permit applications are not accepted in person after 4 p.m.

What is your 20-year vision for Buncombe County? The initial phase of gathering community feedback is in full swing, and we are excited to announce that in addition to the public meeting schedule, self-guided activities are now available at engage.buncombecounty.org.

Input from those who live and work in Buncombe County will be used to create a Comprehensive Plan that identifies the community’s vision, strategies, goals, and recommended actions for the next 20 years. Now you can share your thoughts on your own time and schedule with a self-guided option to provide input. The self-guided option includes a presentation regarding planning influences in the county, a self-guided poll, priorities and actions activity, and a mapping activity. These activities are also available in Spanish.

In the next stages of plan development, the information shared during this initial public input phase will help identify potential solutions and actions, upon which the community will provide additional feedback.

The Buncombe 2043 Comprehensive Plan provides the framework for growth in unincorporated Buncombe County and addresses other quality of life matters for the County as a whole. The plan will take a regional approach, being mindful of other plans, such as the City of Asheville and the Town of Black Mountain comprehensive plans.

To get caught up on everything about the Buncombe 2043 Comprehensive Plan including a short video overview, visit Comprehensive Plan 2043.

Ya se puede acceder a las actividades autoguiadas para el Plan Integral 2043 de Buncombe

¿Cuál es su visión de 20 años para el condado de Buncombe? La fase inicial de recopilación de opiniones de la comunidad está en proceso, y nos complace anunciar que, además del calendario de reuniones públicas, ya puede acceder a las actividades autoguiadas ingresando en engage.buncombecounty.org.

Los aportes de los habitantes y trabajadores del condado de Buncombe se usarán para crear un plan integral que represente la visión, las estrategias, los objetivos y las medidas recomendadas de la comunidad para los próximos 20 años. Ahora puede compartir sus opiniones cuando quiera con la opción de participación autoguiada. Esta opción incluye una presentación sobre las influencias de la planificación en el condado, una encuesta autoguiada, una actividad de prioridades y medidas, y una actividad de mapeo. Estas actividades autoguiadas también están en español.

La información compartida durante la fase inicial de participación pública ayudará a identificar posibles soluciones y medidas en las siguientes etapas de la elaboración del plan, sobre las que la comunidad hará comentarios adicionales.

El Plan Integral 2043 de Buncombe brinda un marco para el crecimiento de las zonas que no están incorporadas en el condado de Buncombe y aborda otros asuntos relacionados con la calidad de vida del condado en su totalidad. En el plan, se adoptará un enfoque regional, en el que se tendrán en cuenta otros planes, como los planes integrales de la ciudad de Asheville (en inglés) y del pueblo de Black Mountain (en inglés).

Para acceder a la información sobre todo lo relacionado con el Plan Integral 2043 de Buncombe, incluido un breve video de descripción general, visite Plan Integral 2043.

The City of Hendersonville will be offering Spring bulk leaf collection for City residents during the month of March. Bulk leaf collection will begin on Tuesday, March 1, and conclude on Thursday, March 31.

This is a service automatically provided to city residents and they do not need to call to request leaf pick-up. Residents are asked NOT to bag their leaves; simply rake leaves as close to the street, curb, or sidewalk as possible without placing the leaves in the roadway or on the sidewalk. Keeping leaf piles out of the roadways and sidewalks helps prevent them from being washed down to the storm drain which can cause flooding. This leaf collection process is separate from brush collection crews; therefore, residents will need to keep their brush and leaves in separate piles during the month of March until Spring bulk leaf collection is complete.

Leaf piles are picked up from homes approximately every seven business days but, depending on the volume of leaves placed out for collection, the piles could be picked up sooner or later than that time.

The Art League is excited to offer free virtual demonstrations.
Watch for the announcement of our soon-to-come virtual workshops and classes.

All demonstrations are available on-line and on-demand.  Simply click on the video link to participate.

The Board of Commissioners’ Regular Meetings take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at 200 College Street in room 326 in downtown Asheville. To view the agenda, previous meeting videos, or to view future meeting agendas – you can visit buncombecounty.org/commissioners. Click on the agenda item below to jump to that section of the meeting. Click “Read More” to connect to a news article about the agenda item.

At the YWCA of Asheville, we eliminate racism and empower women by providing programs and advocacy for over 3,000 community members annually in Western North Carolina with services that support families, promote holistic wellness, and advance racial justice.

Thank you for wanting to share your time and talents with the YWCA! As a volunteer, you are integral to the YWCA fulfilling our mission, and we simply couldn’t do it without your help and support.

YWCA Asheville has volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. We can design volunteer assignments to fit your schedule, experience, and team-building goals.