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Blowing Rock Council Approves Annexation for ARHS; ‘We Hope to Recover the Return on Our Investment’

AHRS Annexation

By Jesse Wood

July 11, 2012. The Blowing Rock Town Council unanimously approved a satellite annexation for the 25 acres of land recently purchased by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS), which borders U.S. 321 and is near the Blue Ridge Parkway, on Tuesday night. 

This comes one year after a similar annexation of 43 acres of adjoining property, also owned by ARHS, which plans to build a hospital on the land parcels called the Appalachian Place at Chestnut Ridge, which has a price tag of $20 million to be completed in the fall of 2004. 

The property is zoned GB (General Business), and the annexation allows for the town to provide ARHS with water and sewer services. This annexation will go into effect on July 31.

Council Member Dan Phillips asked Planning Director Kevin Rothrock, “This is zoned General Business, so if they wanted to, they could basically put a CVS or fast food there they could. Basically they could put anything out there that they wanted to.”

Rothrock responded that the zoning ordinance would allow that. At which point, Phillips asked the ARHS representatives present, “What are you planning to put out there?”

“Well, the reason we purchased the property was to gain a sufficient right away,” an ARHS representative said. “The 30-foot right away we currently have is not sufficient. It does have potential for development. We did pay $1.5 million for the property, and we hope to recover the return on our investment.” 

Phillips also seemed concerned about potential view-shed destruction from the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is adjacent to the property.  

The ARHS representative said, “We do have a buffer.”

 

See previous article previewing the meeting: 

Public Hearing at Blowing Rock Town Council Tomorrow for Annexation for 24 Acres of ARHS Property

July 9, 2012. The Blowing Rock Town Council hosts a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, regarding the voluntary annexation of the 25 acres of land recently purchased by Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

These acres adjoin the 43 acres purchased last year for the Appalachian Place at Chestnut Ridge, a healthcare facility in Blowing Rock with a price tag of $20 million and an anticipated completion date in the fall of 2014.

The property is zoned GB (General Business); is within Blowing Rock’s ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction) and lies within the WS-IV-PA Watershed. If the annexation request is approved, the town would be allowed to provide the 25 acres with water and sewer services.

Since the boundaries of the 25 acres are not contiguous with Blowing Rock’s corporate limits, the rules of satellite annexation must be followed.

The five basic rules for satellite annexation, which are found in N.C. General Statutes are:

  • The nearest point on the proposed satellite corporate limits is not more than three miles from the corporate limits of the Town of Blowing Rock
  • No point on the proposed satellite corporate limits is closer to another municipality than to the Town of Blowing Rock
  • The area described is so situated that the Town of Blowing Rock will be able to provide the same services within the proposed satellite corporate limits that it provides within the primary corporate limits
  • No subdivision, as defined in G.S. 160A-376, will be fragmented by this proposed annexation
  • The area within the proposed satellite corporate limits, when added to the area within all other satellite corporate limits, does not exceed ten percent of the area within the primary corporate limits of the Town of Blowing Rock.

According to the packet for tomorrow’s meeting, “Through staff review of the annexation petition and conversations with the ARHS, it appears that all requirements of satellite annexation will be satisfied.”

For more information about the new proposed facility click here: https://www.hcpress.com/news/appalachian-place-at-chestnut-ridge-center-for-healthy-living-and-rehabilitation-plans-coming-together-for-spring-2014.html