In Swannanoa, Helene's destruction presents extraordinary opportunities for renewal. Here are five areas to watch.
Greenways, parks, stormwater infrastructure and affordable housing will be key
This newsletter sponsored by Citizens Fuel Co., a family-owned Asheville company.
The Swannanoa community continues to recover from the effects of Tropical Storm Helene. Residents are mourning loved ones who died, securing basic resources like food and shelter and adding up their financial losses. Swannanoa was one of the hardest-hit areas of Buncombe County, and rebuilding its homes and businesses will take years.
But locals are already thinking about what a post-Helene future might look like. Some are even picturing a community that, years from now, might serve as a model for how an area can redevelop in the wake of a natural disaster such as Helene.
Discussions about the future of Swannanoa are happening now at the grassroots level. The area about 15 minutes east of Asheville in an unincorporated part of Buncombe County, meaning there’s no municipal government in place in addition to the county government. Nothing about Swannanoa’s reconstruction has been set in stone - the following list is simply a first attempt at identifying key sectors where some work, and I dare say some dreaming, has begun.
Can the community take advantage of unprecedented opportunities for renewal? Will Swannanoa, years from now, be held up as a model for resilience? It’s up to us. Here’s a look:
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Greenway connectivity: There’s an opportunity now to vastly improve the connectivity of greenways in Buncombe County as questions are answered about how and what is rebuilt along the Swannanoa River and its tributaries in Swannanoa. Greenways can enrich a community’s quality of life and can help drive economic development. The county’s greenway master plan is more than a decade old, so it is time for another look. (Here’s what that plan laid out for a U.S. Highway 70/Swannanoa greenway.) Meanwhile, a nonprofit organization that grew out of that planning effort, Connect Buncombe, has worked to carry the vision forward. On Jan. 15 the group will hear from RiverLink Executive Director Lisa Raleigh, who will talk about the future of greenways after Helene, particularly in areas adjacent to the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers.