By WILLIAM LEE
The Mars Hill Board of Aldermen
were swamped with requests for ap
proval of numerous commercial pro
jects during this week's meeting on
Monday night7. They were requests
that the board ooce again had to put
on hold as they await approval of
their water supply by the state
The board first heard from Kyle
Boone of Boone Associates. Boone
had approached the board last month
about rezoning property behind the
Phil-Co Hardware warehouse for
multi-family use The planning and
zoning board has already approved
the plans for a 46- unit apartment
complex.
Mayor Owen Tilson gave Boone the
same reply as last time, stating that
"the board would take no action until
its water problem is settled."
Tilson added that the same thing
applies for a similar project along
Hwy. 213. Both projects are seeking
loan approvals through the Farmers
Home Administration.
"We will call both of you in when we
have this corrected and decide on
rezoning at that time." said aldermen
John Chandler.
Mayor Tilson and Town Manager
Darhyl Boone, estimated that it
would take approximately six months
before its water project could be com
pleted. The town has been ordered by
ihe slate Department Of Natural
Resources and Community Develop
ment to reconstruct the spillway area
at the Mars Hill reservoir near Wolf
Laurel and Ebbs Chapel.
Kyle Boone said that it would take
better than a year before the apart
ment complex could be completed, as
he argued for an immediate decision.
"We want to be sure when we say
we can provide water, that we indeed
can," said Mayor Tilson.
"This is becoming an expensive
project for us." .argued Boone "If
you don't want this project it would be
considerate of you to just say so. This
seems an unreasonable delay."
"We haven't said so. but I realize
that may be implied by our lack of ac
tion," Tilson replied. Tilson added
that the town has submitted plans to
the state for improvements, but has
not received approval from the state
attorney general's office
The same explanations were of
fered moments later when Clayton
Snyder of Great Smokey Mountains
Investments, Inc. requested
preliminary approval for his Mars
Hill Commercial Center, to be
situated near the U.S. 19 turnoff.
along Hwy 23 and 19.
Snyder's eventual plan for the
35-plus acres he owns call for a 60,000
sq. ft. shopping center; a 100-unit
_ kn, .
72-unit apartment complex; two fast
food restaurants; a convenience
store, gas station and a professional
office building or bank.
Snyder told the aldermen that the
first phase of the project would in
clude construction of the 100- unit
hotel, a Best Western Hotel franchise,
and the two fast food restaurants and
professional building.
The engineering plans as presented
to the board call for traffic lights to be
placed at the interchange of Hwy.19
and Hwy 23, with an entrance to the
commercial center provided. The
proposed traffic signals along the
highway raised doubts from
aldermen who questioned whether
the Department of Transportation
would allow them. They also ques
tioned Snyder regarding future plans
should the highway be upgraded to in
terstate standards, as has been pro
posed. Snyder said he had talked with
state officials about both contingen
cies.
For the same reasons given to Kyle
Boone, the board of aldermen made
no decision on the plans.
Local businessman J.F. Robinson
was present throughout the two
presentations, eager to learn how the
board's lack of action might affect his
plans for a 100-unit hotel on the ridge
behind the Western Steer restaurant.
The proposed complex would either
be a Days Inn franchise or an
independently-owned hotel, Robinson
told the board.
Tilson told Robinson that because
the area is already served with water
and sewer lines, while the others are
not, he could go ahead and work out
engineering sketches to present to the
board.
Tilson announced that the town of
Mars Hill has received $75,000 from
the Madison County Board of Com
missioners for use on its water shed
project. He went on to add that the
town has applied for and will receive
a grant from the Appalachian
Regional Commission for further con
struction work on the project. The
amount, to be determined once final
plans are completed by the engineer
ing firm McGuire-Beebe, will be mat
ching funds of up to (300,000.
According to town manager Darhyl
Boone, the DNR is forcing the town to
redo its spillway at a less step decline
from the base of the dam, and build a
gate-like flashboarding at the end of
the spillway. An alarm system is also
being required.
"The watershed is only a stop gap
measure," said alderman Grady
Worley, "but necessary for us at this
time."
Mars Hill now plans to take part in
the Weaverville-Woodfin feasibility |
future federal en
iires that may
force Mars Hill to buikl a filtering
plant at its water shed.
In other business, the board of
aldermen heard from Monica
Teutsch, Executive Director of the
Hot Springs Health Center. Teutsch
came before the board to announce
the planned opening of the Mars Hill
Medical Center on Chestnut St.
The center will operate out bf the
same facilities used by Drs. Otis
Duck and Ernest Powell for their
family practice. The buHding was
donated to Mars Hill College and is
being leased to the Hot Springs
Health Center.
Current renovations include the ex
panding of the lab facilities to include
a minimum trauma room for stabiliz
ing patients for ambulance transport
When open the Mars Hill Medical
Center will have seven physicians on
call to serve the Mars Hill area.
The board of aldermen also approv
ed changes to the town's dog or
dinance and will soon begin asking
pet owners to purchase dog tags for
their pets. Dogs running loose, or
reported running loose will be kennel
ed at the owner's expense.
A change in the resolution passed
last month to require all police of- |
over the objections of alderman John
Chandler. While all officers are to
be trained in the operation of radar
detectors, it will be at the discretion
of Police Chief R.J. Cutshall how
many officers he wishes to have
trained in handling breath analysis
on drunk driving arrests.
Chandler said he had hoped all of
ficers would receive as much training
as possible in all areas of police work
Chief Cutshall also expressed con
cern over parking spaces along Main
Street being occupied all day by
business owners and residents above
the shops along Main Street. Of par
ticular concern were the two florists
who Cutshall said were occupying
three or four places at a time and
blocking the intersection with their
delivery van.
Tilson told Chief Cutshall to remind
the businesses of the two-traur limit
and begin enforcing it if theviolations
continue. Tilson said ample parking
was provided across from town hall,
and in the parking lot adjacent Moore
Auditorium. According to Tilson,
Mars Hill College had given their per
mission for the lot to be used by
downtown shopowners and patrons.
An Old-Fashioned Fourth
While much of the nation's attention was focused on the
Liberty Weekend activities in New York, local residents
celebrated the Independence Day holidays with picnics, sack
races, a rodeo, parades and of course, fireworks. Community
celebrations were held in Marshall, Hot Springs, Weaverville,
Mars Hill and Beech
Photos By William Lee
FLAGS DECORATED TABLES at the annual Beech July 4th
celebration.
atthe
LAUREL RESIDENTS GATHERED for a July 4 picnic
?
DAREDEVIL CYCLIST enterained
crowd at WeaverviH? celebration.
FIREWORKS LIT UP THE SKIES OVER MARSHALL as the
Marshall VFD's July 4th celebration came to a close.
Nun
START OF foreword
S\Kl> YOUNGSTERS I
in Weavervllle