Henderson County planning board to review draft comprehensive plan - BlueRidgeNow.com

The Henderson County Planning Board will hold a special-called meeting on Thursday to discuss and present a draft of the 2045 Comprehensive Plan. The board will review the draft plan and discuss edits and additions starting at 9 a.m. in the meeting room at 100 N. King St. in Hendersonville.

The meeting is open to the public, but it is up to the discretion of the board chair whether or not public comment will be held, according to the meeting notice. The planning board is serving as the 2045 Comprehensive Plan’s steering committee and will ultimately make recommendations to the Henderson County Board of Commissioners.

The planning board meeting comes two days after hundreds of residents attended the Board of Commissioners meeting to express concerns about the draft plan, particularly around land use and preserving agriculture. Attendance was high enough that the commissioners' boardroom filled up and the overflow room was utilized. Commissioners listened to public comment for over an hour. The majority of speakers said they were either natives of Henderson County or chose to retire here due to the rich natural resources and landscapes.

Speakers detailed fears of urban sprawl, loss of natural resources and housing developments taking over farmland.

After hearing the public comments, commissioners explained that no decisions have been made, emphasizing that the draft had not even been reviewed by the planning board. They also expressed confusion about the possible misinformation the speakers were going off of since the plan has not yet been presented.

“I’m so bothered that so many people think this is final,” Vice Chair Rebecca McCall said, adding that she is an eighth-generation Henderson County resident.

“No one wants to preserve agriculture land more than myself and these commissioners,” McCall continued. “...We love this county. I don’t want you to think we don’t love this county.”

Chair Bill Lapsley further emphasized that the commissioners did not come up with the draft plan and that it had not been reviewed. He said the commissioners will take the public comments into consideration.

“We will do the best we can to respect input from everyone,” he said.

The comprehensive plan, which is required by state law, aims to provide guidelines for growth and development. County staff and consultants have hosted public input sessions and sent out surveys to gather feedback.

The Henderson County 2020 Comprehensive Plan (CCP) is the current County Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted in 2004, amended in 2009 and recently extended to 2023.

Any member of the public who would like to submit any comments regarding the comprehensive plan is welcome to do so at any time, according to the planning department. Send emails to Janna Bianculli, Senior Planner at jbianculli@hendersoncountync.gov. Questions can also be sent to the planning department by calling 828-697-4819.

For more information on the 2045 Comprehensive Plan, go to www.hendersoncounty2045.com.

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