County Reviews Preliminary Plans for Former Asheville Primary School

Overview

It has been nearly two years since students roamed the halls of Asheville Primary School at 441 Haywood Road in West Asheville. If preliminary plans come to fruition, the space could be split between a county EMS facility, library, and maintenance facility for Asheville City Schools. For the last year, officials with both Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County have debated what to do with the centrally located, ACS-owned facility at the corner of Haywood Road and Interstate 240.

Plan Details

Architectural plans show a two-story, 25,000-square-foot library on the corner of Haywood and the eastbound interstate ramp, with an entrance facing away from the roads. The library would connect to a 17,000-square-foot EMS station at the corner of Haywood and Argyle Lane. On the backside of the 4.77-acre parcel, a nearly 20,000-square-foot maintenance and operations building would be constructed for Asheville City Schools.

Robert Brown, a project manager in Buncombe County’s General Services Department, stated that an operations center including maintenance, transportation, and food services was ACS’ top priority for the site. ACS also prioritized a pre-K daycare facility and space for its alternative school. However, the plan did not include plans for a pre-K facility, a priority for both the county and city school district.

Community Responses

During discussions, some county commissioners expressed concerns about the proposed maintenance facility. County Commissioner Parker Sloan noted that building a new facility on Haywood Road for school maintenance didn’t seem like the best use of the property. Commissioner Al Whitesides also questioned the need for a new maintenance facility, suggesting consolidation with Buncombe County Schools as a more efficient option.

Trash Service Contract

Commissioners unanimously approved a first reading of a new contract with FCC Environmental Services for trash and recycling pickup services. If the contract is ultimately approved, county residents will pay $28.65 a month for weekly trash pickup and biweekly recycling pickup starting on January 1. The new contract includes enhanced accountability measures for FCC, such as penalties for missed residences and spillages.

Open Space Bond Funding

Commissioners considered setting aside an additional $10.7 million in open space bond funding for construction projects at its Ferry Road development and Deaverview Mountain park. The added projects mean the county has committed $19.6 million of its available funds. The $3 million allocation for the Ferry Road project would supplement a $4 million grant from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. Deaverview Mountain could receive $7.7 million for various park amenities.

Conclusion

Final decisions on the plans for the former Asheville Primary School site are yet to be made, and a final proposal will be brought to commissioners before proceeding. The community is eager to see how the space will be repurposed to benefit both the county and Asheville City Schools.