The end of free parking, tiny house misinformation, Asheville parks reopening

Buncombe County Helene’s recovery briefing on Monday, November 25 covered misinformation, the reopening of Asheville parks, the end of free parking and more.

Also included were daily updates on debris removal, household waste disposal and the locations of community care centers where showers, laundry and other supplies are available.

The briefings go live on the Buncombe County Facebook page weekdays at 11 a.m. On the page you will also find recordings of previous briefings. Due to the holiday, there will be no briefings on Thursday and Friday. Here’s what was discussed at Monday’s briefing.

More: ‘The Rest:’ What the Swannanoa River Left Behind After Helene’s ‘Rage’

Does Buncombe County Ban Tiny Houses?

Buncombe County spokesperson Lillian Govus addressed misinformation circulating on social media claiming that tiny homes are banned in Barnardsville.

Govus explained that the structures referenced in the notice making this false claim were storage sheds that do not meet the North Carolina Building Code requirements for safe habitability. Even temporary housing structures should include bathrooms, anchorages and heat sources that are not connected by a cord or plug. Read more about this at ncosfm.gov/codes.

Govus also added that the province is allowing emergency housing for people displaced by the storm through zoning ordinance changes implemented Nov. 19, allowing for emergency housing in response to Tropical Storm Helene. Emergency housing may include travel trailers, manufactured homes, and other FEMA-approved shelters. As with permanent housing, emergency housing cannot be located in flood zones.

Buncombe County Government Closures

Buncombe County government offices will be closed Nov. 28-29. The province remains under a state of emergency, and some services, such as community showers, debris collection and solid waste collection, will have adjusted hours. The courthouse, health and human services and libraries are closed Thursday and Friday. For a complete list of closures, visit Buncombecounty.org.

Community care stations and water distribution locations will be closed Thursday for the holidays, but will reopen on Friday.

More: Free Thanksgiving Meals, Grocery Distribution Points in Asheville

When will community care stations close?

By the end of the day on December 2, all water distribution locations and community care stations in Asheville and Buncombe County will close, with the exception of four stations in the most affected communities:

• Morgan Hill Baptist Church, 594 Barnardsville Highway

• Bethel United Methodist, 1050 Riceville Road

• Owen Pool, 117 Stone Drive, Swannanoa

• Fairview Ingles at 225 Charlotte Highway near Reynolds High

Locations of community care stations

Currently, the community care stations remain open Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm, with showers, laundry facilities and more. All community care stations now have ADA accessible showers and bathrooms. You can drop off and collect laundry at Swannanoa Ingles.

Community Care Station Locations:

• Parking lot at Home Store on Brevard Road

• Buncombe County Sports Park

• Morgan Hill Baptist Church

Debris removal program from private property

The now-opened PPDR program is different from debris collection on private roads. The program applies to situations where crews must enter private property to retrieve debris. County Manager Avril Pinder gave an example in an earlier briefing: If a flood swept a neighbor’s shed into your backyard and you can’t move it to the right-of-way, you probably qualify for the PPDR program.

If you have any questions, please contact the One Buncombe hotline at 828-250-6100, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Applications are also available at buncombeready.org.

You can also visit a PPDR application center to find out if you qualify. Centers are located at:

• Asheville Mall (same location as the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center) daily from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

• Barnardsville Fire Station 15 is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Swannanoa Fire Rescue is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m

• Fairview Library open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Debris Removal in Buncombe County, Asheville

As of this morning, November 25, 45 trucks are operating in Buncombe County, removing debris from all areas to clean up the 10 million cubic yards of debris caused by the storm.

In Asheville, 110,893 cubic yards of debris have been collected so far. The clearing of rubble from the site on Fordstraat has started. Today there are thirty-five trucks in Asheville:

If you see illegal dumping, meaning random trucks or cars dumping debris and waste in developed or undeveloped properties, report it through the Asheville app.

Small Business Grants

For-profit businesses in Buncombe County and Asheville are eligible to receive grants of up to $25,000 to support recovery costs not covered by insurance or other funding sources.

The grant funding program is a partnership between Buncombe County and Asheville and other public and private partners. Applications are open for two more days through November 27 and can be found at mountainbizworks.org/abgrants. Applications are also available in Spanish.

There is no annual income threshold for this subsidy. Eligible businesses must have fewer than 200 employees, with priority given to the most affected areas and businesses.

Disaster Recovery Center updates, holiday hours

Operations at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Asheville Mall have changed. Starting today, November 25, the center at the Asheville Mall will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The center closes on Sundays and is closed from November 28 to December. 1 for Thanksgiving. The DRC will reopen on Monday, December 2 at 8 a.m.

This week, the center will continue to operate on its regular schedule of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you come to the Asheville Mall before the doors open at 11 a.m., please use the Barnes and Noble entrance.

Remove household waste

Waste Pro will operate its normal household waste and recycling routes today, Monday 25 November and Tuesday 26 November. Residents should use the transfer station or landfill if Waste Pro cannot access it, but please note the landfill and transfer station will be closed on Thursday, November 28. They will open again on Friday, November 29.

You can leave bagged waste between 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM at:

• Wednesday: Hearts with hands

• Saturday: North Buncombe Pool open until 1pm

Buncombe County residents should register with the FCC for household waste and recycling service at fccenvironmental.com/buncombe-county.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Drinking Water Programs

The US Army Corps of Engineers has three ongoing projects in the western NC region. Although the projects are temporary, the Corps plans to continue until the city and FEMA determine they are no longer needed. Primary projects include reducing turbidity at the North Fork and Bee Tree reservoirs, with an emphasis on resiliency and reliability. Work is ongoing and the projects are expected to be operational in the coming weeks. The water treatment site at UNCA is already fully operational; The intention for the time being is for it to be removed around mid-December.

When will Asheville’s parks reopen?

D. Tyrell McGirt, director of Asheville Parks and Recreation, provided information on the process of reopening city parks. The city’s riverside parks were hardest hit by the storm, with some spaces largely destroyed. Work is underway to restore these areas by adding ‘adaptable infrastructures’.

McGirt told the community there are 39 fully reopened Asheville parks, 13 partially reopened and 11 completely closed. Several parks will fully or partially reopen in December. He added the following information about these parks:

• The east side of Carrier Park is expected to reopen, but the west side of the park, with the exception of the French Broad River Greenway, will not reopen in the near future. The indefinite closures include basketball courts, bocce courts, a multi-purpose field, sand volleyball courts, restrooms, the ice rink and the velodrome.

• Richmond Hill Park will partially reopen – some trails and disc golf baskets will be made accessible, as will the picnic shelter and restroom facilities.

• Riverbend Park is expected to fully reopen, including the Swannanoa River Greenway, park benches and lawn.

Updates on restrooms on the French Broad River Greenway, dog parks, sand volleyball courts and more are expected to be available by Jan. 31.

Facilities that McGirt said would remain closed for the foreseeable future include:

• Recreational areas in the River Arts District including Craven St. Bridge Boat Access, River Arts Place and portions of the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.

Staff have asked the public to stay out of closed areas to allow repairs to take place and ensure safety. For a complete list of open parks, including partial openings, visit ashevillenc.gov.

Is parking free in Asheville?

The city suspended parking fees after Helene. However, City Manager Deborah Campbell informed the public on November 25 that on-street parking rates will resume on December 2.

Parking in city-owned and operated garages will remain free through the end of the year, with the exception of event parking rates at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center garage. Parking rates for parking garages will resume on January 2, 2025.

Rental Assistance in Asheville

Eblen Charities processes 40-50 applications for rental assistance every day. Asheville is also partnering with Grace Covenant and the organization will provide $250,000 in city funds for approximately 110 low-income families in Asheville.

Grace Covenant is open every day from noon to 4 p.m. for residents to request assistance.

Helene expense tracker

A new monthly updated financial transparency dashboard is now available on the Buncombe County website. The tracker provides information on Helene-related expenses and can be accessed at buncombecounty.org/transparency/dashboards/financial/helene-spend-tracking.aspx.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe Helene recovery: Free parking ends, misinformation about tiny houses