By Jesse Wood
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Watauga County Administration Building to discuss a variety of topics.
High Impact Land Use Ordinance
The commissioners will consider recommendations from the Watauga County Planning Board to put chip mills and electricity generating facilities into the Category 1 of regulated uses in the High Impact Land Use Ordinance and fuel oil bulk storage facilities into Category 2. See the entire potential amendments here and spacing requirements for each category under the ordinance.
Food Hub
The commissioners will consider a lease with the Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture for space in the cooperate extension/maintenance building to provide a “food hub” that would support local farmers and community gardens by providing space to store frozen and dry goods.
The proposed lease is for 10 years, the maximum allowed under N.C. statues, at $1 per year. If the request is granted to Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, then the county maintenance would relocate items currently stored there to the former AppalCART facility near the mall that the county now owns.
Disc Golf Facility Near Jail?
Richard Rosenfield will again request the Watauga County Board of Commissioners sign a lease with the N.C. Department of Transportation for the construction of a disc golf course near the Watauga County jail.
Rosenfield agreed to pay for the construction and five years worth of maintenance on the course, but the Watauga County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to not enter a lease with the NCDOT for this project after listening to concerns from Hodges Gap Road residents.
“The board may wish to schedule a public hearing in the event Mr. Rosenfeld’s proposal is reconsidered as there was opposition last time by residents,” according to a memo from Watauga County Manager Deron Geouque to the commissioners.
View the entire board packet here.