Asheville Reporter

Town of Black Mountain issued the following announcement on Mar. 18.

The Town of Black Mountain has applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Program funding through North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) as a sub-recipient. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to consider alternatives and to provide public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. 

EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). 

Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.

 Sub-Applicant: Town of Black Mountain Project Title: 436908 – Town of Black Mountain Flat Creek Greenway Repairs; PA-04-NC4617-PW-00057 

Location of Proposed Work: 

Facility Latitude Longitude Date of Construction Flat Creek Greenway Start: 35.62455 End: 35.62448 Start: -82.31663 End: -82.31656 2009

 Special Flood Hazard Area Zone:

 This project is for the removal and replacement of the Flat Creek Greenway asphalt, base, subbase, and riprap to shift away from the Flat Creek bank in order to mitigate potential future damages while maintaining the benefits provided by the Greenway to the local community. All work is located in an AE zone (1% Annual Chance Flood Hazard) and Floodway. Confirmation of location in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) was determined by the Buncombe County Flood Insurance Rate Map, Panel Number: 3710061900J, dated 1/6/2010. The proposed work conforms to all applicable State of North Carolina and local floodplain regulations. There is a potential for the facility to be impacted by future flooding events due to its location within the AE zone and Floodway. The proposed work will not take place in wetlands per the United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory and will have little potential to impact or affect wetland values. 

Proposed Work and Purpose:

 The Town of Black Mountain will utilize force account labor and contracts for repairs to Flat Creek Greenway to restore this facility to pre-disaster function and capacity. Repairs will consist of removing and replacing Road Bond Backfill base and subbase, asphalt, and riprap. A Hazard Mitigation Proposal has been included to shift the greenway alignment away from the right bank of Flat Creek. This shift will add a 79 square foot span, which will require an additional 105 square yards of asphalt. This would allow for stabilization of the creek bank using bioengineering techniques and establishment of a narrow riparian buffer that would help reinforce bank stabilization work. This erosion control repair plan will also include a Channel Grading, a Constructed Riffle, Geolift, Filter Fabric, shrubs, erosion control matt, and seeding. Shifting the Flat Creek Greenway to expand the riparian buffer zone will increase the useful life of the facility as well as promote human safety and welfare in the nearby community. The Flat Creek Greenway also promotes open space usage which preserves the natural and beneficial values served by floodplains. 

Project Alternatives: 

Alternative #1 (No action): The 'no action' alternative would ultimately result in a negative impact on the Town of Black Mountain. If the Greenway damage is not repaired, then adverse economic and social impacts may occur. 

Alternative #2 (Repair in-kind): Repairing the Greenway without minimization measures may result in similar damages from future events. 

If similar damages occur again, it would cause adverse economic and social impacts. 

Comment Period: 

Comments are solicited from the public; local, state or federal agencies, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. 

The comments should be made in writing and addressed to: FEMA Internal 11988 Reviewer FEMA Region 4 3005 Chamblee-Tucker Road Atlanta, Georgia, 30341 Alternatively, comments may be emailed to: FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. 

Please send comments with the subject line [DR-4617-NC-00057 11988 COMMENT]. All comments are due by no later than 30 days of the posted date of this notice. POSTED ON: March 11, 2022

 Original source can be found here.