Town of Black Mountain gifted 26 acres of undeveloped property

land offers ‘amazing opportunity’ for future use

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 22, 2022

The Black Mountain Town Council voted unanimously, Dec. 22, to accept a gift of 26 acres of undeveloped land east of N.C. 9. Photo by Fred McCormick

The Town of Black Mountain received an early Christmas present in a Dec. 22 special call meeting, as elected officials voted unanimously to accept 26 acres of undeveloped property.

Four parcels of land, valued at approximately $2 million, were gifted to the town by Black Mountain Ventures.

“Over the years, as we’ve had discussions about greenway easements, this has been a property we’ve been in contact with,” Town Manager Josh Harrold said. “About four months ago, Peter Fontaine, who is over Black Mountain Ventures, told us he was considering giving that property to the town. He went through the process, had it appraised, and gave it to the town with no restrictions.”

More than 20 acres of the wooded property, which includes a small portion adjacent to the Black Mountain ABC Store, is east of Riverwalk Park and extends toward Hemphill Road. The newly acquired land is in close proximity to a 25-acre parcel that Mary Hemphill, who stipulated it be developed as a park, bequeathed to the town in 2017.

While the town has now been given nearly 50 acres from East State Street to Sunset Drive over a five-year span, the tracts are bisected by I-40 and surround railroad tracks in areas, according to Harrold, who adds that proper planning will allow the town to best utilize the land.

“There are challenges associated with these properties, including access, the Swannanoa River and the interstate,” he said. “But, the biggest hurdle has been jumped, because we now have the property in hand.”

The gifts allow Black Mountain a chance to do “something nice for the citizens, and really Buncombe County,” Harrold added.

“This is an amazing opportunity,” he said. “Land is obviously not cheap, and it’s hard to find. There aren’t many large tracts of land left here in town, so being given this amount of it is something we really want to take advantage of.”