Hendersonville Lightning: McGrady will resign from House to take NCDOT board seat

From the Hendersonville Lightning: State Rep. Chuck McGrady said Saturday he plans to resign from his House seat next month before taking a seat on the North Carolina Board of Transportation. . . McGrady has a substantial portfolio in road planning and transportation policy. He served on the Georgia Board of Transportation, was chair of...

Public comment period on the French Broad River MPO Hellbender Regional Trail Plan

From the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), a public comment period is open now until August 21 on a plan for a regional trail network, the Hellbender Regional Trail. This plan puts together the various bicycle, pedestrian, and greenway plans developed locally in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties. You can view...

Times-News: Transportation spending, governing changes heading to Cooper

From the Times-News: The General Assembly gave its final approval on Wednesday to a North Carolina transportation funding and governing overhaul following a recent stinging audit and COVID-19-related revenue declines at the Department of Transportation. The House agreed 99-17 to the Senate version of the bill, which also would let legislative leaders pick six members...

CLG supports the Friends of East Flat Rock

The Cultural Landscape Group:Flat Rock (CLG) supports the Friends of East Flat Rock in their work to protect their community from any damaging impact to their environment and residential neighborhoods due to a re-zoning request to build an asphalt plant on property incompatible for that purpose. The property is currently zoned Community Commercial, and an...

AP: Money, board overhaul at N.C. transportation clears state Senate

From the Associated Press: A proposed financial and governing overhaul for North Carolina’s Department of Transportation received unanimous state Senate approval this week even though it would lessen Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s control of the DOT board. The measure, which now goes to the House after more Senate floor debate on Friday, locates over $600...

Hendersonville Lightning: GE comes out against asphalt plant

From the Hendersonville Lightning: The General Electric plant, the largest employer in East Flat Rock since the 1950s and one of Henderson County's oldest manufacturing operations, has come out against the proposed asphalt plant a few hundred yards down the road. Plant manager David Martin and human relations manager Lisa Richmond notified employees Thursday that...

Hendersonville Lightning: Applicant gets delay of asphalt plant rezoning until August

From the Hendersonville Lightning: Facing a broad grassroots campaign against his request, a rezoning applicant seeking permission to build an asphalt plant in east Flat Rock has delayed the request by two months. . . But after opponents fired dozens of questions during a neighborhood compatibility meeting last week— questions they insist remain unanswered —...

Hendersonville Lightning: Village Council urges county to reject asphalt plant

From the Hendersonville Lightning: The Flat Rock Village Council voted unanimously on Thursday to urge the Henderson County Board of Commissioners to deny a rezoning request that would allow an asphalt plant on Spartanburg Highway at U.S. 25 Connector in East Flat Rock. . . Though the location for the proposed plant is outside village...

T-N: Neighbors oppose asphalt plant proposed for East Flat Rock

From the Times-News: An estimated 150 or more neighbors and interested parties electronically attended a neighborhood capability meeting Monday, many expressing opposition to a proposed asphalt plant at the Spartanburg Highway and U.S. 25 interchange near East Flat Rock. Jeff Shipman of SE Asphalt has requested that the county conditionally rezone 6.5 acres off Spartanburg...

T-N: Asphalt plant proposed near East Flat Rock; Meeting set for neighbors

From the Times-News: An asphalt plant has been proposed at the Spartanburg Highway and U.S. 25 interchange near East Flat Rock. Jeff Shipman of SE Asphalt is asking for the county to conditionally rezone 6.5 acres off Spartanburg Highway to construct a new asphalt drum plant. The land is currently zoned community commercial. A neighborhood...

Hendersonville Lightning: Senators grill NCDOT on overspending

From the Hendersonville Lightning: . . . [Senate Transportation Committee] Lawmakers asked [NCDOT] department officials how, in fiscal year 2018-19, the DOT spent $742 million more than its budget, based on a May audit report. Senators reviewed the department’s budgeting process, its oversight mechanisms and its responsibility for the budget hole that threw the transportation...

Hendersonville Lightning: Top DOT engineer paints grim picture of agency’s finances

From the Hendersonville Lightning: New highway projects are frozen, routine maintenance such as mowing, patching and ditch-clearing is delayed and NCDOT employees across the state are being sent home as the agency faces a severe cash shortage. Brian Burch, the top DOT official for the 10-county Division 14, painted a grim picture of the agency’s...

Hendersonville Lightning: Village Council boots new park entrance

From the Hendersonville Lightning: The Flat Rock Village Council has scrapped the idea of a new entrance to the Park at Flat Rock for now, agreeing to evaluate traffic patterns and sightlines when the NCDOT completes the Highland Lake Road project. . . “In my mind [the driveway cut] is way too close to all...

News & Observer: Faced with a sharp drop in revenue, NCDOT furloughs thousands of employees statewide

From The News & Observer (May 18, 2020): N.C. Department of Transportation employees were told Monday that they will need to take unpaid time off by the end of June to help the department save money. The furloughs begin this week with “executive leadership,” who must take 30 hours of unpaid leave, followed next week...

NCDOT Performance Audit May 2020

Interested in NCDOT's current cash balance situation and financial performance? You can review the NCDOT Cash Spending Plan Performance Audit, May 2020, from the State Auditor here.  This document includes the full report and NCDOT’s official response.

May newsletter from State Sen. Chuck Edwards (N.C. senate district 48)

Update on COVID-19 fund distribution and small business loan programs among other things.

T-N: Audit: NCDOT overspent by $740M in 2019

From the Times-News: The N.C. Department of Transportation spent $740 million beyond what it planned to last year, state auditors said Tuesday as they urged stronger oversight of how DOT and its regional offices handle finances. The performance review by State Auditor Beth Wood’s office found DOT had spent $6.68 billion on road construction and...

Hendersonville Lightning: Highland Lake Road project not among jettisoned NCDOT projects

From the Hendersonville Lightning: As people across North Carolina heed a statewide stay-home order to curb the spread of COVID-19, traffic volumes have plummeted, causing at least a $300 million budget shortfall for the N.C. Department of Transportation in the current fiscal year and an uncertain forecast for the next budget year. . . Projects...

April newsletter from State Rep. Chuck McGrady (NC House district 117)

A legislative session during a pandemic.

Bike/ped feasibility study

In 2018, the Village of Flat Rock received a grant from NCDOT to look at the feasibility of a bike/ped path connecting the Park at Flat Rock with the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. The final draft report of that study has been completed and is available for review. Final presentation of the report...