Ahead of the possible votes on changes to land management and floodplains in Macon County, a group works to convince the county commissioners to halt the changes.
The Water Quality Advisory Committee was formed in the last couple of weeks, first meeting the week of Aug. 19. This came after the Macon County Board of Commissioners voted on Aug. 13 to relax the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Ordinance permit mandate for land disturbance activity from half an acre to a full acre.
Bill McLarney said the committee came about after a conversation with Commissioner Chair Gary Shields following that Aug. 13 meeting.
McLarney and others criticized the lack of transparency by the commissioners in the proposed ordinance change process. A committee formed with two commissioners, two planning board members and a staffer met once to make sure the proposed changes met minimum state guidelines.
The water committee originally consisted of Stacy Guffey, Ed Haight, Jason Love, Brent Martin, Kenneth McCaskill, Bill McLarney, Lewis Penland, Carolyn Porter, Katie Price, Jordan Smith and Doug Woodward. At the onset of the Aug. 28 meeting, McLarney said Smith and Martin dropped out of the group. Guffey and McCaskill couldn’t attend the Aug. 28 meeting.
The next vote by the county commissioners, planned for Sept. 10, would allow RV parks in county floodplains. The third, slated for Oct. 8, would allow outside fill of up to 25% per acre in county floodplains.
All three amendments have faced opposition from local community members who say the ordinance changes would increase fill in the local streams and rivers and harm ecological systems.
McLarney informally led the meetings, saying on Aug. 28 that they were united in disapproval of the potential changes.
McLarney said he wasn’t feeling optimistic about slowing down the commissioners allowing RV parks in the floodplain but wanted the committee to make a point regardless.
Penland brought up the idea of showing pictures and videos of the Cruso community in Haywood County. Six Cruso residents died in August 2021 when floodwaters from Tropical Storm Fred swelled the East Fork of the Pigeon River, causing landslides and quickly flooding the Laurel Park Campground and other nearby homes. The river carried away and destroyed mobile homes and campers.
McLarney said while he could make a case for keeping the floodplain RV ban in place from a biological perspective, he feels showing property damage and life effects can get through to the commissioners.
Price, executive director of the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, said she can show high E. coli and bacteria count from the river in Jackson County, which allows RV parks in floodplains. McLarney said RV parks are a clear source of E. coli found in rivers.
Porter, a professor of business and e-commerce at Southwestern Community College, said allowing RV parks in the floodplain could negatively impact property values. Penland said the proposed changes don’t make sense to him, saying developers are coming because Macon County’s ordinances made the county the way it is now. McLarney added that cheap developments don’t even contribute much to the economy.
Love, associate director of the Highlands Biological Station, pointed out issues with the ordinances, such as allowing people to swim in Cartoogechaye Creek, the Town of Franklin’s water source.
The group talked about crafting a presentation for the Sept. 10 meeting, including a “sales pitch” for what they feel the commissioners should do, saying it would be better than saying they should reject the proposed plan.
The committee adjourned after 90 minutes, not committing to a date for a future meeting, but wanting to meet again.
“We have a lot of homework to do,” McLarney said.