Gashes Creek neighbors, 

Thank you for taking the time to have a productive conversation and for providing valuable feedback at the information session last Tuesday. We want to make sure that we captured your concerns, thoughts, and questions to the best of our ability, so we took notes that you can review here. These were some specific points in that conversation that seemed to be particularly important to you:

• Azalea Road’s status as a one-way street, neighborhood connectivity, and increased traffic

• Reopening Gashes Creek Bridge with traffic signals and new traffic patterns in the neighborhood 

• School bus turnaround 

• Follow-up on the status of projects- project pages and monthly updates

Azalea Rd.

During the meeting last week, some folks mentioned that Azalea Road has been used as a two-way street by most of the people in the neighborhood for a while, and they would like to see it return to a two-way configuration. In the interest of public safety, the current plan remains for the exit to Swannanoa River Road to remain one-way. City staff understands the level of inconvenience and are reviewing the feasibility of restoring safe two-way operation as temporary access. The temporary signal mentioned in the meeting is expected to be installed by February 7.

Gashes Creek Bridge

The City is committed to rebuilding a safe and secure Gashes Creek bridge that supports neighborhood connectivity and follows the FEMA Public Assistance process for cost recovery. Staff is actively navigating this complex process with many moving parts, and despite our best efforts, variables outside of our control may lead to delays. We will keep you informed as we know more information on this project. 

School Bus Drop off for Nature Center program participants 

In the past, buses dropping off students for Nature Center programs stopped on  Gashes Creek Road  which raised some safety concerns. I want to assure you that with the addition of our new entrance, this is no longer the case. We have designated a dedicated drop-off area in front of the WNC Nature Center entrance that is both safe and convenient for Nature Center program attendees, ensuring that buses will not be stopping on Gashes Creek Road.

Follow-up on the status of projects- project pages and monthly updates

To stay up-to-date with our progress with the work on the bridge and other storm-related repairs in your neighborhood, we recommend that you subscribe to the Gashes Creek Bridge subscriber list here. If you’d like to keep up with the recovery efforts that are going on across the city, check out publicinput.com/ashevillerecovers. On this site, there are specific pages for storm debris, economic recovery, infrastructure, and more. These pages also serve as a place where you can voice your questions, comments, and concerns about what you’re seeing. We want your feedback on the work we’re doing, so please continue to share your thoughts with us there. 

More information on the FEMA Public Assistance process was presented to the City Council at the January 14, 2025 meeting. The presentation was given by Capital Management Director Jade Dundas, and begins at the 1:18 mark. 

Finally, one of your neighbors, Laura, reached out with a request to connect with you via email in an effort to organize as a neighborhood. If that is something that interests you, feel free to respond to her via email, as she is cc’d here. Thank you for your feedback and patience.

Best regards,

Jessica Hughes

Communications Specialist

Communications and Public Engagement 

City of Asheville

jhughes@ashevillenc.gov

828.575.6722