The Haw Creek community gathered on March 11 for the annual meeting of the community association, welcoming new leadership, celebrating past accomplishments, and looking ahead to an exciting year.

Four new members—Danielle Arostegui, Jonathan Connolly, Chris Fleming, and Daniel Sanders—were elected to the board, joining re-elected incumbents Michelle Decker, Christina Maggi, and Renate Rikkers (see all board member bios). With the addition of these new voices, the board brings a renewed depth of expertise, fresh perspectives, and energy for the year ahead.

Following the election, the board selected officers for the coming year:

• Michelle Decker, President
• Christina Maggi, Vice President
• Christina Quetel, Treasurer
• Danielle Arostegui, Secretary

A highlight of the evening was celebrating community leadership, with remarks from Mayor Esther Manheimer, who recognized the many accomplishments of the Haw Creek Community Association under the leadership of Chris Pelly during his remarkable 19 years of service. His dedication and steady leadership helped make Haw Creek safer, stronger, and more connected, leaving a lasting impact on the neighborhood.

There was strong community participation: approximately 85 neighbors attended the meeting, along with several special guests:

• Bo Hess, City Council Member
• Jackie Stepp, Interim Police Chief
• Carrie Lee, Asheville Police Department Community Resource Officer for East Asheville

A presentation highlighted a productive 2025 for the association, including:

• Securing full funding for the Haw Creek Park Greenway
• Launching the Firewise Community Project to improve wildfire preparedness
• Hosting 6 educational programs, 2 community meetings, and 12 community events

Even more is planned for the coming year. Key goals include:

• Building and opening the Haw Creek Park Greenway
• Continuing implementation of the Firewise Community Project
• Planting 400 native wildflowers in planter boxes at the library
• Expanding community events and neighborhood gatherings

Residents were encouraged to get involved by joining one of the associations's five committees, which help manage much of HCCA’s day-to-day work. There are also many opportunities for neighbors to volunteer on an occasional basis.

The evening concluded with a chance to meet neighbors and reconnect at a dessert social featuring 100 choux à la crème generously donated by RendezVous. A sweet finish to the evening!

Photos by Gabriel Swinney

On March 7, a dozen energetic volunteers from HCCA’s Clean & Green Committee completed a massive cleanup at and around our main entrance and sections of the creek. They collected a total of 18 bags of litter plus a truckload of large items, including a shopping cart, two area rugs, and a metal tub from a washing machine. Some of the debris was likely remnants from Hurricane Helene.

One volunteer dug out a storm drain that had two feet of mud in it, while others focused on cleaning up around the Welcome to Haw Creek entrance sign. They even washed the dirt off the sign! 

The entire entrance area now looks pristine: no trash, no stray signs, the welcome sign area uncluttered and spring-ready, and the islands and sidewalks swept clean.

This is just one example of the many accomplishments of our local volunteers over the years. HCCA’s “Litter Brigade” was started 30 years ago by a small group of board members and community volunteers. Asheville GreenWorks later joined the effort, providing safety training, organizational expertise, and even bringing several groups of strong young helpers for badly needed creek cleanups.

Over three decades, a long line of Haw Creek volunteers have made tremendous contributions to keeping our neighborhood clean and green.

If you’d like to join this enthusiastic group, simply email HCCA at info@hawcreekavl.com.

On December 16, The Asheville Watchdog published an opinion column by John Boyle titled “Yep, NIMBYism has reared its ugly head in Haw Creek development imbroglio.” The column included quotes from HCCA President Chris Pelly related to the proposed 767 New Haw Creek development. 

Given the difficult options, and their potential impact, neighbors have worked long and hard to achieve some kind of a resolution. Not all agree on what that looks like, or what is possible. Chris Pelly's stated intention in speaking with the columnist was to encourage constructive dialogue by involving an independent third party, with the hope of helping neighbors find common ground. Unfortunately, the result was the opposite. The column heightened tensions and deepened divisions within our community. 

Members of the HCCA board were not aware that Chris planned to meet with the columnist, and the resulting article came as a surprise. While this was not a board-approved action, we recognize that Chris was quoted as speaking on behalf of the entire board. For that reason, we believe it is important to respond. 

We want to state clearly: the HCCA board believes the column portrays our neighbors in an unfair light. That is, the term used by the columnist is one we would never use to describe members of our community. Over the past three years of navigating the complex 767 issue, neighbors have disagreed—and continue to disagree—but board members have strived to hear all sides and avoid name-calling. 

Moving forward, we are committed to rebuilding trust throughout the Haw Creek valley. Our role is to represent all residents. We are volunteers who give our time in service of HCCA’s mission: to enrich lives, protect our natural beauty, and promote safety throughout the Haw Creek valley. We pledge to continue doing our best to uphold these goals. 

In March, six seats will open on the HCCA board. Chris Pelly will not seek reelection. We welcome any Haw Creek valley resident to nominate themselves or a neighbor for a board position. A description of board responsibilities is listed on the website. 

Nominations may be submitted by contacting a member of the Nominating Committee using the public contact form links below:

Doug Baughman: https://hawcreekavl.com/Sys/PublicProfile/SendEmail/66626456

Liz Polfus: https://hawcreekavl.com/Sys/PublicProfile/SendEmail/68533251

Christina Quetel: https://hawcreekavl.com/Sys/PublicProfile/SendEmail/68645942

On Wednesday, December 17, Mayor Manheimer performed the official ribbon cutting, opening the new pedestrian bridge over Haw Creek that now connects the large parking lot to the businesses on the other side. This bridge will enable pedestrians to cross without stepping into traffic on Beverly Road, eliminating a longtime safety concern. 

The Mayor was joined by Creekside Taphouse owners Anthony Dorage and Kim Murray, Civil Engineer Chris Day, and General Contractor Thomas Wolfe (all four instrumental to the success of this project as well as being Haw Creek residents), along with HCCA board members.

In 2022, HCCA secured a $5,000 grant from the City’s Neighborhood Matching Grant program for this project, however, the bulk of the funding has been provided by Creekside Taphouse.

Technical difficulties involving FEMA flood elevations delayed building the bridge over Haw Creek, which utilized the existing AT&T girder. In addition, the contractor had to make changes in the design to secure permit approval.

Significant community improvements can take time to realize. HCCA had been quietly advocating for this long-needed pedestrian bridge since 2021, and we can now celebrate the completion of this important safety improvement.

Photograph by Gabriel Swinney with Swinney Creative (Haw Creek resident)

HCCA is excited to announce that we have received the final – and largest – piece of funding for the Haw Creek Park Greenway. On November 18, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve our application for a $127,784 grant from the County's Open Space Passive Recreation Bond.

We have invested untold hours to secure the funding for this project. Our initial campaign raised $11,115 from generous Haw Creek residents. This support was instrumental in securing the grants needed to fully fund the project, which includes a $5,000 grant from respected greenway advocates Connect Buncombe.

In addition to the funding, we are very grateful for the cooperation and generosity of the landowners: The City of Asheville and civic-minded private landowners. We are also grateful to Jake McLean from Wildlands Engineering, who donated his time and expertise to draw the greenway plans.

With all the funding in place, we are now ready to begin the building process. This natural surface, mostly flat trail will start on Beverly Road – across from Creekside Taphouse and PennyCup – and meander through the woods and a meadow alongside Haw Creek.

We've already done extensive planning, which puts us in a good position to hit the ground running. However, there won't be much visible progress for the first few months as we'll be managing the paperwork to secure the required legal rights, signing agreements with contractors, and procuring materials. If all goes smoothly, we anticipate opening the greenway to the public in the fall of 2026, if not sooner.

On Tuesday, November 17, Asheville City Council voted to deny the proposed entrance bridge for the 767 development. By a 6 to 1 margin, developer Kevin Jackson's request for an alternate entrance to the 'Meadows at Haw Creek' development was denied. Where this leaves the overall project remains unknown. 

Jackson's attorney had consistently argued that the restrictive covenants in Happy Valley would not prevent using Sleepy Hollow Drive as access to 767, but for unknown reasons has not pursued resolution of the issue. 

Council members struggled with balancing the well known need for new housing with concerns the bridge would worsen flood conditions on the site and downstream. Residents objected to the bridge, which was not in the originally-approved development plan passed by City Council in July 2024, and was only requested later when, according to Jackson, his lenders requested he obtain a second entry option. 

Jackson's attorney, Derek Allen, said they may consider legal action in civil court challenging the Council's decision. 

From Asheville City Councilwoman Maggie Ullman: The upcoming town hall will bring City, County, and State partners together. Many of our most urgent challenges — housing, recovery, resilience — depend on us working in partnership, and I hope you’ll join us to share your perspective. 

Serving in public office is about listening — and about choosing connection when delay is easy. Please attend our rescheduled Town Hall in East Asheville, where I’ll be joined by State Representative Brian Turner and County Commissioner Drew Ball. We’ll share updates on key issues shaping our community and, most importantly, hear directly from you about your priorities and concerns. 

Wednesday, November 19

6:00 – 8:00 pm

Haw Creek Commons

315 Old Haw Creek Road

Dustin Clemens, Capital Projects Division Manager with the City of Asheville, has provided the following update: Despite operational challenges of maintaining traffic flow on New Haw Creek Road, progress on the sidewalk project continues steadily, and remains on track for completion in late 2026. 

For the last several months, the focus of the project has been on completing approximately 15 utility crossings, mainly for stormwater and water lines. This work requires pavement cuts and patching across New Haw Creek Road, which must be phased in order to keep the road open during lane closure restricted timeframes. To date, 8 of the approximately 15 utility crossings have been installed. 

Once utility work is complete, the contractor will be able to make faster and more visible progress. 

The recent rains did wash out some of the stone in two of the temporary patching areas, which the contractor addressed earlier this week. The City's project manager, on-site construction inspector, and the contractor will continue to monitor the construction site closely. Asphalt cuts are being patched with asphalt paving in accordance with the engineered (and NCDOT approved) plans and specifications.

The entire roadway will be repaved towards the end of the project, so the current temporary patching will not be a permanent condition.

Mr. Clemens thanks residents for their patience as the city works to improve this road for a safer pedestrian experience and a more connected community.

As of today, it appears City Council will vote this Tuesday, Oct. 28, on the proposal to allow a bridge entrance to the 'Meadows at Haw Creek' development at 767 New Haw Creek Road. If approved, this would be a significant departure from the development plan approved in July 2024, which had the subdivision entrance off lower Sleepy Hollow Drive—and required no bridge entrance. 

City Council meetings begin at 5 pm in city hall and this item ought to come up around 6 pm based on the City Council Agenda.

HCCA is opposed to the bridge, especially with our post-Helene awareness of the impact of flooding, as it is expected stormwater runoff will be vastly increased with a significant risk of downstream flooding. 

As proposed, the majority of the 400' bridge is designed to be a roadway with openings over the creek and wetlands. The remainder of the entrance road would be an earthen embankment that will obstruct the free flow of flood waters along the natural watershed of the property. This is why some have described this as a dam. 

Between the embankment design and increased impervious surfaces, as a result of the new subdivision infrastructure, it is expected stormwater runoff will be both vastly increased and, at the same time, worsened due to the bridge design.

HCCA has consistently called for adhering to the development plan approved last year after negotiations between Mayor Manheimer, the developer's team and HCCA leaders. That plan not only reduced the number of housing units from 95 to 84, it protected nearly 5 acres of mature hardwood canopy, much of it backing to Alpine Way homeowners within Happy Valley. The plan also calls for the developer to provide a sidewalk or greenway alongside New Haw Creek Road connecting Bell Road to Sleepy Hollow Drive. Additionally, the negotiated plan expanded buffering on the west side section to provide better natural screening for surrounding neighbors. 

We need your help getting the ‘No Bridge’ message to City Council. If you can, please join us on Tuesday evening. Even if you don't speak at the meeting, your presence will help send a message in opposition to the bridge proposal. You can also contact members of City Council to express your opinion via email—see their contact info below.

Contact info for Asheville City Council members:

Mayor Esther Manheimer

esthermanheimer@avlcouncil.com

Vice-Mayor Antanette Mosley

antanettemosley@avlcouncil.com

Council Member Kim Roney

kimroney@avlcouncil.com

Council Member Sheneika Smith

sheneikasmith@avlcouncil.com

Council Member Sage Turner

sageturner@avlcouncil.com

Council Member Maggie Ullman

maggieullman@avlcouncil.com

Council Member Bo Hess

bohess@avlcouncil.com

On October 10, developer Kevin Jackson asked that Tuesday's vote on a new entrance to the Meadows at Haw Creek subdivision be postponed until October 28. 

As the applicant, this request is the right of the developer. Generally speaking, this action is typically taken if the applicant is uncertain of the outcome of the planned City Council vote.