Al Gumpert's blog

Proposed Changes to the The Buncombe County Development Ordinance will be on the agenda of the Planning Board at their Monday, December 1, meeting.  Some of the proposed changes would reduce the protection of our mountains.

FoTM is looking for a member who would like to author a blog on the wildlife of the Town Mountain area for our website.  The author would be the contact person for residents when there is a bear incident or an unusual sighting of wildlife in the TMR area.  If you are interested please call me at 255-8218 or email at gumpecho@bellsouth.net  

Joe Sechler, former president of FoTM, was appointed to a three-year term on the Buncombe County Planning Board by County Commissioners at their Nov. 4 meeting.  Joe was nominated by Commissioner David Gantt and approved unanimously by the board.  Congratulations Joe!

There is nothing quite so unsightly as the discarded bags, cans, bottles and fast food containers that seem to multiply along our beautiful Town Mountain Road. FoTM is interested in starting an ongoing clean-up along TMR.

In 2006 and 2007 the Buncombe Board of Commissioners adopted a Development Ordinance that provides protection for the steep slope areas of our mountains during development.  On April 7, 2008, the county Planning Board voted to recommend to the Commissioners changes to the Development Ordinance that would reverse some of these protections.

FoTM has been working to diversify membership on the Planning Board.  Currently seven of the nine members of the board have strong ties to the  development community.  We are advocating for a balance on the board between development and community interests and have been supported by the WNC (Western North Carolina) Alliance and the Mountain Voices Alliance.  The Asheville Citizen Times and the MountainXpress have both published editorials or articles in support of diversity on the Planning Board.