State budget goes to Gov. Cooper

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

Although the indirect benefits of the unprecedented tourism boom that’s enveloped Haywood County over the past few years are readily apparent in the form of increased sales taxes and steady work for hospitality industry professionals, locals are finally about to get something out of it besides soaring housing costs and crowded attractions.

Back in May, TDA Executive Director Lynn Collins told Haywood County commissioners that the TDA had decided to appropriate $500,000 in fund balance towards a “one-time special projects fund” open by application to the five zip codes from which the 4% room occupancy tax is collected.

Unlike the TDA’s 1% fund, the special project grants carry a public benefit by investing in projects that not only serve to maintain or increase “heads in beds” but also demonstrate enhancements in quality of life for permanent residents of Haywood County.

The application period closed on April 29, and nine applications were received, including one each from Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley, one from the county itself, two from Waynesville and three from Lake Junaluska.

On June 30, the Haywood TDA announced the recipients of those grants; because the funding requests totaled $800,000 not every project could be funded, so there were some winners, and some losers.

Haywood TDA one-time special project fund grants

APPLICANT REQUEST AWARD PROJECT

Town of Canton................................$200,000 .......................$0..................................Chestnut Mountain Park retail and visitor center Town of Clyde..................................$66,088 .........................$66,088.........................Trail system at Haywood Community College Lake Junaluska Assembly................$100,000 .......................$0..................................Lake Junaluska outdoor recreation area development Lake Junaluska Assembly................$100,000 .......................$0..................................Lake Junaluska Stuart Auditorium improvements Lake Junaluska Assembly................$100,000 .......................$100,000.......................Lake Junaluska overlook and connector trail Town of Maggie Valley.....................$125,000 .......................$96,131.........................Maggie Valley Festival Grounds parking lot Town of Waynesville.........................$22,000 .........................$0..................................Sulphur Springs Park improvements Town of Waynesville.........................$87,781 .........................$87,781 ........................Richland Creek Greenway Haywood County..............................`$150,000.......................`$150,000......................Haywood County Bike Park

TOTAL:..............................................$800,869........................$500,000

The Winners

TRAIL SYSTEM AT HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The 2-mile trail system located on the campus of Haywood Community College will nearly double in size, thanks to a TDA special project funding award of $66,088.

When work is completed, hopefully in November, the multi-use natural surface trail will become one of the very few free, familyfriendly offerings near Clyde. According to the Town of Clyde’s grant application, it is hoped that the new trail will attract community events and regional or state cross country meets. Another concrete sidewalk will also be added to the trail network to allow for better access to trails from a campus parking lot.

In addition to the potential community and athletic events associated with the trail, the expansion could serve as an important link between several other attractions, like the Hellbender Regional Trail System, Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Park and Lake Junaluska.

Total cost of the project is estimated at $137,000.

MAGGIE VALLEY FESTIVAL GROUNDS PARKING LOT

Maggie Valley’s Festival Grounds are booming — making it difficult for some to find parking during the 20 or so events scheduled for the heart of the summertime season.

That should change in pretty short order, after the Haywood TDA granted the town $96,131 toward paving 90 new spots.

In 2021, the town spent $185,000 to acquire a 1-acre parcel directly across Soco Road from the Festival Grounds. It’s being used for parking already, but parking spaces are unmarked and the parcel is sometimes muddy after heavy rains.

The TDA grant will go a long way toward tidying up the situation, but not quite all the way — the town’s request was for $125,000, but the TDA only funded just over 75% of that request.

Initially, the grant application said that there would also be two fast electric vehicle chargers as well as landscaping compliant

The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will benefit from a portion

of the one-time special projects fund. Haywood TDA photo