news
Haywood TDA will award
special project grants this week
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR he biggest knock against North Carolina’s city- and county-based Tourism Development Authority system is that while it does collect and spend room occupancy taxes to market specific cities and counties as travel destinations — driving Western North Carolina’s tourism-based economy — it does almost nothing for residents of those destinations who have to bear the brunt of soaring housing costs due to short-term rentals, overcrowded attractions and excess demand on infrastructure like roads and water systems. Since the Haywood County TDA’s inception in January 1984, it has collected exactly $29,980,815 in room occupancy tax revenue through March 2022. By the end of this fiscal year on June 30, collections will likely have topped $3 million in one year for the very first time, and will have eclipsed the $30 million all-time mark. Now, for the first (and possibly only) time, the TDA is giving some back. On May 2, outgoing TDA Executive Director Lynn Collins told Haywood County commissioners that the TDA was having such a good year that the board had decided to appropriate $500,000 from fund balance towards a “one-time special project fund” for capital projects. Application guidelines published by the TDA say the fund’s purpose is to “encourage creation or expansion of capital projects that will showcase Haywood County’s unique offerings and will attract visitors from outside a 50-mile radius, generating overnight stays and creating economic/destination impact for the zip code and Haywood County.” All five ZIP codes recognized by the TDA as destinations — Canton, Clyde, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley and Waynesville — are eligible for the grants, which give preference to shovel-ready projects and carry a 50% match requirement. Studies and maintenance projects are not eligible for funding, but things like greenways, parks, cultural attractions and facility enhancements are. When the application period closed on April 29, nine applications had been received, including one each from Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley, one from the county itself, two from Waynesville and three from Lake Junaluska. “Lake Junaluska is the largest tourism entity in Haywood County, and we’re also the number one recreational location,” said Ken Howle, executive director and CEO of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. “We applaud the TDA’s efforts to invest back into projects that not only enhance tourism, but will also improve the 10 quality of life in Haywood County.”
Smoky Mountain News
June 22-28, 2022
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Although the stated goal of the grants is to continue augmentation of area attractions that drive this tourism juggernaut, most if not all of the projects do carry some public benefit because they’re generally available for public use — for those who can afford to live in Haywood County, and if the lines aren’t too long.
Berm Park is proving a popular attraction despite being only 25% complete. Holly Kays photo
CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN PARK RETAIL AND VISITOR CENTER The Town of Canton seeks to develop a mixed-use retail establishment on frontage adjacent to Chestnut Mountain Park that it would lease out to concessionaries. According to the one-time project fund application completed by Town Manager Nick Scheuer, the space could potentially house a taproom, restaurant, retail, restrooms and maybe even a visitors center for the park, offering bike and fishing equipment rentals. The facility itself would consist of four or more 40-foot shipping containers, provided by retailers and situated on an elevated platform. Submitted with the application are photos of the Smoky Park Supper Club, an Asheville restaurant known for its innovative and attractive use of such containers. When the one-time project fund application was completed in April, Chestnut Mountain Park had only been open for a week and was about 25% complete. Scheuer said the park was averaging 150 users a day, which he expects to grow in the coming years as the park nears 100% completion. “Chestnut Mountain has quickly become one of the shining beacons to attract attention to Canton and Haywood County,” said Zeb Smathers, Canton’s mayor. “It brings people from inside and outside the county to Canton. With the TDA’s help, we hope to get them into other places in Haywood County as well, especially our downtown area.” The town has requested $200,000 toward the total $450,000 project cost. Groundbreaking would occur almost immediately and be completed by Dec. 1 of this year.
HAYWOOD COUNTY BIKE PARK Canton isn’t the only local government looking to capitalize on the increasing popularity of bicycling in Western North Carolina’s mountains. In 2021, as part of Haywood County’s 10-year recreation master plan, surveys showed that residents were clear about wanting more trails of all kinds, especially for bikes. The county’s $150,000 one-time project fund request is but a small part of a projected $1.9 million project that would create something known as a pump track — a series of banked turns designed to be ridden without pedaling but rather through the up-and-
down motion of the rider. Pump tracks are simple, cheap, and accessible for riders of all skill levels. Upon completion, the project would total around 2 miles of track, but would also feature restrooms, a playground, a pavilion and a walking path around the perimeter. It would also be the only Red Bull certified pump track in North Carolina outside of Gastonia. The county has already committed more than $500,000 toward the project and has a pending $500,000 request from the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. Groundbreaking at the site — formerly a landfill — would take place sometime in 2023, with a projected completion date in 2025 or 2026.
TRAIL SYSTEM AT HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Although Haywood County is also known for hiking trails, there aren’t many familyfriendly opportunities near the Town of Clyde. Currently, the trail system located on the campus of Haywood Community College measures around 2 miles, but with a successful application to the TDA one-time project fund it will double in length to almost 4 miles. Composed of a multi-use natural surface, the new trail would make an ideal venue for both community events and regional or state cross country meets. Another concrete sidewalk would be added to the network to allow for better access to trails from a campus parking lot. All in all, the trail system could be linked to the Hellbender Regional Trail System as
well as Chestnut Mountain Park to provide a more expansive, extensive destination for locals and visitors. The expanded trail system would also allow for future expansion of the existing disc golf course. According to the application, HCC would provide in-kind marketing support to publicize the expanded trail system. The Town of Clyde is requesting just over $66,000 as part of the $137,000 projected cost, and would complete work by this coming November.
LAKE JUNALUSKA OVERLOOK AND CONNECTOR TRAIL The Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center has long been known as one of the best destinations for walkers and runners in Haywood County, with a 3.5-mile lakeside trail that provides significant recreational opportunities with views unparalleled in the region. To that end, the Lake Junaluska Assembly has also developed a phased plan to improve pedestrian access between the Terrace Hotel, the Susanna Wesley Garden and the former World Methodist Museum, now called the Warren Center. Phase 1 of the project would create an overlook that would become a new destination for Haywood County residents and visitors, who could then continue along the connector to the Susanna Wesley Garden and arrive at the Warren Center. Once upgrades to the Warren Center are complete, the venue will be able to accommodate weddings, conferences, proms and other events for up to 240 people.
