Western North Carolina Growth
©Bill Lea
Farmland and forests near Hot Springs, NC
Western North Carolina has been a prime destination for generations of vacationers, outdoorsmen and women, retirees and others seeking the beauty and bounty of the region’s majestic mountains. But over the last several years, a boom in housing and other development and the environmental impacts of uncontrolled growth are posing an increasing threat to the region’s natural heritage, economic health, and quality of life. New gated communities and other mega-developments are proposed almost weekly, overwhelming the infrastructure of local communities and profoundly altering the landscape.
©SELC
Landclearing like this in Macon County too often leades to muddy runoff that pollutes the region's streams and rivers.
Unfortunately, local counties have few, if any, regulations over development, which increasingly is felling native forests, marring scenic views, polluting mountain streams, and worsening tailpipe pollution due to sprawl. Rural development is also putting pressure on supplies of drinking water from aquifers that are slow to recharge.
Buncombe County is expected to grow by another 70,000 residents in the next several years, equivalent to a new city the size of Asheville. But Buncombe has no county-wide zoning to accommodate this growth in any sort of sustainable manner. Since 1991, an average of 2,800 acres of rural land has been subdivided for development each year. At this pace, Buncombe County will have no rural land left in 60 years.
One of the most disturbing trends in the development boom in western North Carolina is housing construction on mountaintops and steep slopes. While such development might provide new homeowners optimal mountain views, it leads to muddied streams, and worse, can trigger landslides, which have destroyed dozens of homes in recent years. In Buncombe County, historically, 18 percent of new buildings were constructed on steep slopes. Now, steep slope development accounts for 30 percent of all new construction.
The region has reached a tipping point and local governments, legislators, and citizen groups across western North Carolina are seeking solutions to address the impacts of unchecked growth. From our Asheville office, SELC is stepping up our involvement in these critical issues to safeguard the natural resources and treasured landscapes of western North Carolina.
