Our next meeting will be:
Tues. 02/13/07 at 6:30 P.M. at the Weaverville Library, Weaverville, NC
Open to all!

Meeting Minutes

Date: 10/29/06
Location: Ox Creek Community Center
Meeting Start Time: 5:30pm
Meeting End Time: 7:40pm
Attendees: See sign in sheets

• Meeting Agenda:

  • Hear five different Weaverville First Members Speak
  • Break into focus groups
  • Return and hear McPhail property developer speak

Meeting began with speakers:

• First Speaker: Jody Ochs

  • Welcomed everyone

  • Gave an overview of what the meeting will include

  • Discussed Wal-Mart in the 85 acre development

  • Invited everyone to join Weaverville First

• Second Speaker: Kurt Irmiter

  • Spoke about what Weaverville First represents to introduce and explain Weaverville First to the audience

  • Suggested that Weaverville has town “laws” like other towns

  • Explained why Weaverville needs change

  • Suggested that the Town of Weaverville needs more input from the community

  • Talked about the P/Z (Planning & Advisory) Board

  • Talked about the McPhail property - 1850’s house

    • Suggested that it is preserved for history

    • Explained that it is the original Weaver house

    • Recommended that everyone drive by and take a look at the McPhail property – gave directions to the McPhail property

      • Drive to Main Street in downtown Weaverville, Turn onto Moore Street… it will be on your right

    • Explained that the house is not empty

      • A McPhail stays there when in town

• Third Speaker: Lynn Staton

  • Explained her back ground

    • Has served as a Weaverville Board Member

    • Served on the Weaverville Planning and Zoning Committee

    • Has been involved in the Weaverville community for a long time

    • Has lived in Weaverville for a long time

  • Lynn gave a quick Civics 101 lesson to the audience to help everyone understand how our town government works

    • Explained the town council, planning & zoning board, board of adjustments

      • Town Council Members (Board of Commissioners) are the only elected officials – Elected by Weaverville citizens

        • Town Council is made up of the Mayor and five Council Members

      • Planning & Zoning Board and the Zoning Board of Adjustment seats are appointed by Town Council members

        • Zoning Board of Adjustments

          • Consists of seven members, four from Weaverville’s ETJ and three from inside Weaverville. Two of seven members serve as alternates.

            • ETJ means Extended Territorial Jurisdiction

          • Is responsible for hearing and deciding appeals where an order, requirement, or decision of the Zoning Administrator is alleged to be in error; hear and decide upon requests for variances from the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance; and hear and decide upon requests for special exceptions.

        • Planning and Zoning Board

          • Consists of seven members, four from Weaverville’s ETJ and three from inside Weaverville. Two of the seven members will serve as alternates.

          • Is responsible for advising the Town Council on matters pertaining to land use and planning issues.

    • In 1981 Lynn helped write the first Land Use Plan for Weaverville

      • The Town of Weaverville advertised in the local newspaper requesting input from the community

      • The Town also used examples from other towns to write the Land Use Plan.

      • The main point of creating the first land use plan was to protect residential property.

      • The land use plan was due for review in 2001.

      • The plan is 5 years past due for review.

      • Suggested the Town and the community access needs and review suggestions

      • Engineers are drawing maps/plans of the land use plans as we speak

        • We, Weaverville citizens are paying for this drawing without our approval.

        • The community has not seen the new plans for the Land Use Plan – there has been no public input.

        • The community will see the plan after it is already drawn with no community input - this is why we have to act now.

    • Suggested to elect people to serve on board who are going to pay attention to the needs of the community

• Fourth Speaker: Karin Hedberg

  • Thanked everyone for attending

  • Built up moral

  • Encouraged everyone to get involved

  • Showed a small zoning map of Weaverville

    • Directed audience to view the Weaverville zoning map (3 years old) on the town’s website for a closer look

      • www.weaverville.net

  • Explained ETJ (shown as anything inside the inside green on map)

    • ETJ stands for Extended Territorial Jurisdiction

    • ETJ has no vote, but the ETJ is still affected

    • Everyone is an equal contributor

    • Weaverville First wants to create an equalness and within the town.

    • Explained that the process is about the fact that we live in Weaverville, not where we’re from

  • Spoke about 2007 election

    • Three seats open on Town Council

  • Gave Weaverville First’s website address: weavervillefirst.org

  • Read Weaverville First’s mission statement

    • Important point is that we want to be heard

    • Feel’s that the town is missing sufficient input

  • Explained that Wal-Mart is ¼ mile from her house

  • Explained that at the Planning and Zoning public hearing and at the Zoning Board of Adjustments hearing, we, the community, didn’t have any input

  • Explained that she would like to see a more responsible way of building

  • Welcomed everyone in the audience to choose a committee

    • Find a niche in this group

    • Encouraged everyone to visit Weaverville First’s website

    • We want this effort to grow

  • Briefly Discussed Wal-Mart development

• Fifth Speaker: Jill Totman

  • Explained that everyone interested will be separating into committees

    • Decided we get the most accomplished by dividing into 4 different focus groups

    • After explaining the committees, decide which committee best suites your interests and we will Divide into four corners of the room

  • Explained that Weaverville First is not just focused on one thing

    • Weaverville First is focused on multiple issues at hand

  • Briefly discussed 2007 Election

    • No candidate has run opposed

  • Explained how it is her civic duty to participate

  • Encouraged attendees to pursue your interest

  • Encouraged everyone to pay attention to what’s going on in the town

  • Suggested everyone in the room attend all town meetings, all year long and all the time

  • Briefly made spoke about the Town’s Budget

    • Tax rate next year

  • Explained Four Committees in detail

1. Outreach/Membership – Leaders: Jody Ochs and Kurt Irtmiter

   • Volunteers

   • Communications

   • McPhail Property – will be creating an Ad Hoc committee for this

2. Political/Legislative – Leaders: Susan Stewart and Jill Totman

   • Attend town meetings

   • Elections

3. Planning & Zoning – Leader: Lynn Staton

   • Land Use Plan

   • Communicate what Weaverville community wants to Town Council and Board Members

     1. NOTE: Once this land use plan is in place, it won’t be revisited for another 10 years

4. North Ridge Commons Development - Mel Kelly and Karin Hedberg Leaders

   • Reject proposed Wal-Mart and discuss alternate options

     1. NOTE: We still have input

• Before separating into focus groups, the next Weaverville First meeting was discussed

  • Suggested we come back together in one month – Meeting December 3^rd or 4^th (Sunday or Monday). By show of hands, everyone in room voted on meeting date and majority voted for Sunday, Dec. 3^rd.

  • Next Weaverville First Meeting is December 3^rd, 2006 at Weaverville Library on Main Street at 5:30pm. – This was announced to everyone in the room

• Requested that everyone separate into focus groups/ committees and decide your next meeting date as a committee.

• Question from audience about ETJ

  • Boards include residential and ETJ members

  • Someone stated that Weaverville First will be researching the ETJ issue – Why ETJ residents have no voting rights

• Gulf Community residents attended this meeting

  • A man from the golf community stated they have candidates that are willing to run and serve

    • Suggested getting three people on council

    • Doesn’t like the idea of door knocking,

      • Someone stated that Weaverville First can be a campaigning mechanism

• Someone from audience stated Hamberg Crossing residents may like to be involved

• It was suggested that everyone attend Weaverville Town meetings

  • Attending meetings, making a presence may be very impressive

• Someone stated that the Monticello Commons is an important issue

• Announced council meeting tomorrow, Monday, 10/30/06 at 7pm

• Explained Focus Groups/Committees again

1. Jody Ochs & Kurt Irmiter

   1. Fundraising

   2. Membership

   3. McPhail

2. Susan Stewart and Jill Totman

   1. Political

   2. Elections

   3. Attend Board Meetings

3. Lynn Staton

   1. Land Use Plan

4. Mel Kelly & Karin Hedberg

   1. N. Ridge Commons

   2. Wal-Mart

• Stated that no decisions are expected to be made tonight - just discussion within focus groups

• Everyone separated into groups

  • Everyone in focus groups were asked to sign in w/ their name, phone number and email

  • Asked to decide on their next focus group meeting date, time & location

• Everyone came back together at 6:45p and listened to developer on McPhail property speak until 7:30p

• McPhail Property developers were introduced

  • Developers were there to open up discussion with the community

• Developers showed maps

  • Developers stated plans are going to supreme court

  • First plan showed to audience is new/current plan that includes 90 apartment units, no commercial

  • Developers discussed why first plans were rejected

    • At time Zoning allowed the first plan that included commercial and residential

    • Weaverville P/Z found later that it did not meet criteria

    • Town knew first plans met requirements at time but knew it did not meet the town’s feeling and/or opinion at time

    • A judge approved/found in favor of developers when presented in court

  • Developers talked about property location and historic farm house located on property

    • Farm house (Weaver house on McPhail property) will be moved to Martha’s property on Main Street in Weaverville

    • Farm house has been looked at and can be moved

  • Developers felt 1^st plan was a win/win plan

    • First plan presented 1 year ago

    • Included commercial and residential

    • Developers showed map to audience

Conversation was held between audience and developers

• Someone from audience suggested walking areas; keep trees and get entire community involved into development, something to attract tourism and benefit town

• Developer was open and listened to audiences’ input

• Someone from audience suggested a plan similar to Biltmore Village

• Developers explained maps/plans

  • Developer stated there would be no AutoZone and no Sonic if commercial and residential plan was used

  • Parking is planned to be in front and rear

• Someone from audience stated if residential homes and/or apartments were built then it would have to open up to Moore Street.

• Discussion held regarding opening streets

  • Developer stated the DOT, in 1981, suggested to open a second thru street

  • Fire Station is blocked at this time, only other way around is 26 (old 19/23)

  • Discussion that the Fire Station will be moving to a new location soon

• Alternate commercial options were discussed

  • Audience informed developer that there were 70 applicants for a retail space on Main Street

  • True T&D (traditional neighborhood development) was suggested

    • T&D includes green space, trails – like Highland Lake

  • Audience suggested small town businesses and residential single family homes to developers

  • Someone from audience suggested 50 small commercial buildings like a market

• McPhail Property was discussed

  • McPhail Property is a total of 12 acres

  • Lasher is 1 acre

  • Ruffins' own property on corner and the owners like where they live and will not be selling

• Developers explained larger commercial building size

  • 1100 – 5000 sq. ft. at max

• Discussed Mars Hill CVS

  • Opinion from audience that it turned out horrible and ruined entrance to downtown of Mars Hill

• Developer stated McPhail is still in contract with developer

• Discussed Community Arbitration

  • Someone from audience suggested that we ask for community arbitration so the community can have input in development

  • Someone from audience asked, “Can we ask the judge to require community input?”

• Developer stated that there may be a way out if council will get conditional zoning

• Discussed Conditional Zoning

  • Conditional zoning was explained by an audience member

    • Community and developer work together

    • Conditional Zoning can work if you have a town government that will work with the community

    • Means the community and the developer negotiate everything

  • Statement from audience that zoning matters

    • Zoning means a developer can’t put residential on conditional zoning

      • To build commercial, property must be re-zoned

• Developer stated that the appeal may have been a 12 month blessing in disguise

• Developer explained that they have to sell the commercial boxes to make back capital and usually only the larger chain stores can afford to purchase the buildings

  • Developer stated they would rather lease the buildings

• Discussed Grove Arcade

  • Audience suggested to use Grove Arcade as an example of what the community might want

  • Grove Arcade agreed to local stores only - no chains

  • Developer or someone in audience explained that the Grove was built with public and private funds

• Developer discussed “Original Plan” in detail

  • Showed design

  • Developer pointed out that the plan would join single family homes to existing single family homes except for the Ponders property, some commercial may join with the Ponder’s property

• Developer stated they are willing to work with the community and assign brick/outside design and roof to residential homes and commercial buildings

  • Developer explained that they can set requirements on buildings

• Discussed Sidewalks

  • Developers stated that there will be sidewalks but they are not shown on plans

• Someone from audience asked the developer if they’re willing to withdraw plan

  • Developer agreed to work on a new plan and work with council and community

• Someone suggested removing the Town’s appeal so the Town and community could begin working with the developer

• An Earth Fare or Fresh market was suggested for the larger commercial buildings

  • Someone from audience stated that health food stores are failing, there is disagreement, need proof

• YMCA was suggested as a possible commercial building

• Developer showed audience Home design plans

  • Developer stated that homes have been built in Hawcreek on Dillingham Road using these plans

  • Developer feels that the homes have an “Art Feel”

• Someone suggested living space above commercial buildings like in downtown Asheville

  • Developer stated there is currently a 35 foot building limit

• Greg, the Developer, explained his background

  • Stated he is originally from Weaverville

  • He grew up on Monticello Road

• Developer stated that the Pullyum Family is equal partners in this development

  • Developer stated that the Pullyum family has developed a lot in Weaverville and they take great pride in their work

  • Someone from audience requested a list of the Pullyum family’s projects from developer

    • Developer agreed to provide list of projects to audience member

• A 5^th committee was suggested to facilitate communication between developer, community and Town Council

• Communication with council was suggested

• Discussed Conditional Use Zoning

  • Someone suggested we take a stand on conditional use zoning

• Developer, Greg, discussed his meeting with the Mayor and his opinion on the meeting

  • Greg stated he felt the Mayor spoke for the council

  • Greg stated he felt there was no open exchange when during meeting with the Mayor

• Discussed pulling Town’s appeal

  • Someone suggested that we ask the town to pull their appeal

• Announced that Committees/Focus Groups will meet on their own and then we will all meet as one big group on December 3^rd at the Weaverville Library on Main Street at 5:30pm
  
  Meeting closed at 7:40p.