Haw Creek Park Greenway

The neighborhood association that brought you Haw Creek Park and Masters Park is well on our way to bringing a public greenway to the Haw Creek valley, right across the street from PennyCup and Creekside Taphouse. This natural-surface, mostly-flat trail will meander through woods and a meadow alongside Haw Creek, offering the first public access to our namesake creek.

The greenway will link treasured community attractions – the East Asheville Public Library, Haw Creek Park, our charming commercial area – with the surrounding residential area and the nearby elementary school. Imagine the joy of walking along the creek to access these, or just stopping by for a relaxing creek side picnic.

HCCA has made good progress on securing the funding. Our fundraising campaign raised over $10,000 from generous Haw Creek residents. In addition, we were awarded a $5,000 grant from respected greenway advocates Connect Buncombe. 

For the remainder of the funds needed – the biggest piece – we submitted a grant application for Buncombe County's Open Space Passive Recreation Bond.

Throughout the summer and fall of 2024, our proposal made it through every stage of review, including a panel interview and a site visit. By September the grant subcommittee emailed us with fantastic news – they recommended us for full funding. We were one of the very few proposals that was slated for such an honor. The last step was for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners to approve our proposal. That meeting was scheduled for early October but was canceled due to Hurricane Helene in late September. 

After Helene, the County paused funding for the grant, which was understandable given the tremendous job they’ve had, and still have, managing recovery efforts. While we waited for the County to resume the grant process, we asked the City to remove fallen trees. If you’ve been in the area, you've seen that they did a great job. That enabled us to walk the area and see that although the creek had some erosion, the area where the trail will be is intact.

Although we believed the Haw Creek Park Greenway was still viable, we had a civil engineer and a trail contractor review the site. They both agreed the greenway can be built as planned, with just a few minor adjustments.

In July 2025, the County grant managers resumed the grant process. HCCA board members met with them to share the news about the trail condition. We reiterated our eagerness to receive the grant funds and complete the greenway.

In mid-August the grant managers expect to bring their recommendations to the County Manager, who will decide if and when to bring the grant to a vote by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners – the final step in the funding process. The earliest that could happen would be mid-September. Factors beyond our control could stretch that out further; however, we will stay on top of the process and provide updates on any new developments.

We are grateful to everyone who has supported this project, especially Connect Buncombe, who has pledged to honor their grant to us as we wait for full funding from the County.

HCCA has a track record of success on community-driven projects. By working in partnership with local and state government, foundations, and our neighbors, we have been able to accomplish valued and lasting improvements for the Haw Creek community. We believe this greenway will provide these same long-lasting benefits.

Photos from last summer of the future site of the Haw Creek Park Greenway.