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Construction surges in county

Hendersonville Business

LIGHTNING EDITORIAL: Hotel proposals encouraging sign downtown

The city could score a home run if one of two prospects for a downtown hotel comes to pass.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

Mill developer's financing pushed to January

The Hendersonville City Council is expected to extend a lease with the developer of apartments in the historic Grey Hosiery Mill so the company can complete financing details. The council meets Thursday morning to take up the matter.City Manager John Connet described the delay in closing and the council’s action as routine.“We’ve just got to extend the lease for 30 days,” he said. “We’re real close but the lawyers aren’t going to get it done by Dec. 31.” The City Council selected Belmont Sayre to convert the historic mill into a boutique hotel with event space in April 2017. Belmont Sayer president Ken Reiter informed the city last June that he failed to get financing hotel and instead proposed a development of 35 apartments. The council agreed to the backup plan provided he rent a portion of them at affordable rates. Under terms of the sale, before Belmont Sayre completes financing for the project, it is leasing the property back to the city. Under the lease, for a nominal $1 per month, “we keep it secure and keep insurance on it until he takes full ownership on the property and starts construction,” Connet said. Originally scheduled for Friday, Dec. 14, the closing of the arrangements for borrowing has been postponed until after the holidays.Connet said he is confident the financing is solid and that Reiter will start construction.“We’re expecting him to pull a demo permit and have building plans” soon, he said. “At this point it’s just getting all the legal documents put together for a closing.”Carrboro-based Belmont Sayer, which specializes in adaptive re-use, has opened a 170-unit apartment project in the historic Chatham Mill in Winston-Salem.     Read Story »

Saluda Business

Reappraisal Q&A

Why does the county reappraise property? North Carolina law requires counties to reappraise all real property once every eight years but allows reappraisal once every four years. Since 1995, Henderson County has conducted a reappraisal every four years. The county must assess 68,000 parcels. The effective date of the reappraisal is Jan. 1, 2019. Who is responsible for the reappraisal? The assessor, not the Board of Commissioners, is responsible for establishing the assessed value of property; the commissioners, not the assessor, sets the tax rate.N.C. law requires counties to assess real property at its “true value in money, meaning market value.” The assessor sets market value based on “the most recent qualified sale” near the appraisal date. Sales between family members and other non-arm’s length transactions are excluded. Fair market value is what a house or other piece of property would sell for between a willing seller and “a financially able buyer.” How does the assessor establish the value? Henderson County uses a “mass appraisal” process that groups similar properties together based on location, type of construction, age, replacement cost, advantages and disadvantages, zoning and other factors. For property such as apartments or offices, the assessor may base the value on net operating income. The market approach takes into account an arm’s length sale of similar properties. Are there exceptions? Yes. The taxable value is lower when the owner is enrolled in the Present-Use Value Program for farm, horticulture or forestry use. There are also tax relief programs for the elderly, disabled and disabled veterans. Among uses exempt from property taxes are churches and other religious property, schools, nonprofit agencies and government buildings. When will I get my Notice of Assessed Value? It will be mailed about Feb. 1. Can I appeal? Yes. The first step is to file an informal appeal using the form included in your Notice of Assessed Value. (You can also get a form at the tax office or on line.) After an appraiser reviews the informal appeal, the tax office will mail the result to the property owner. An appeal could result in the assessed value “being left unchanged, reduced or increased.” The next step if the property owner is unsatisfied is to file a Formal Appeal with the county Board of Equalization & Review. The Board of Equalization & Review will meet as needed from April 15 to May 15. An appeal from the local board goes to the North Carolina Property Tax Commission. Appeals from the state Tax Commission go to the North Carolina Court of Appeals and state Supreme Court. What are grounds for appeal? The assessed value exceeds or is substantially below market value or the property “has been appraised inequitably as it relates to the market value of comparable properties.” Reasons that are not grounds for an adjustment include the percentage change from the previous value, actual construction cost, the amount of taxes due, financial ability to pay taxes, insurance value or liquidation or salvage value. Does the reappraisal apply in all taxing districts? Yes. Cities and fire districts do not assess property for tax purposes. The county collects taxes for the fire districts and the part of the town of Saluda in Henderson County. Hendersonville, Fletcher, Laurel Park, Flat Rock and Mills River set their own tax rate and bill and collect property taxes in the municipality. Will the county publish a revenue neutral tax rate? Yes, by state law it has to. The revenue neutral rate is the tax rate the county would impose to produce the same amount of revenue it would have received had no reappraisal had occurred. In practice, that means if the gross taxable value of all real property goes up by, say, 10 percent, the revenue neutral rate would be lower than the current tax rate (56.5 cents per $100 value) by a corresponding amount. The Board of Commissioners, not the assessor, establishes the revenue neutral rate. Does the Board of Commissioners have to adopt the revenue neutral tax rate? No, it can adopt a lower or higher rate. When will the Board of Commissioners and cities set the tax rate for their 2019-2020 budgets? By June 30, 2019. When will I get my property tax bill? The bills are mailed in August and become due on Sept. 1, 2019. Property owners have until Jan. 5, 2020, to pay the property tax bill without interest. * * * * * Sources: Henderson County Guide to 2019 Reappraisal, interviews.   -30-           Read Story »

Asheville Business

Edwards appointed to state Tourism Board

State Sen. Chuck Edwards, who represents three tourism-rich counties, has been appointed to the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Board.   Read Story »

Fletcher Business

Park Ridge breaks ground on Arden urgent care practice

Leaders of Park Ridge Health (which becomes AdventHealth on Jan. 2) and AdventHealth Centra Care broke ground on an urgent care facility that will expand the health care system’s network to better serve people across our communities in Buncombe and Henderson counties. AdventHealth Centra Care Arden is an affordable alternative to the emergency room for urgent, non-life-threatening medical care. Its team of board-certified physicians, with advanced training in adult and pediatric care, will offer convenient, $30 flu shots, and treat broken bones, infections, allergies and pediatric concerns as well as orthopedic conditions and stomach problems. They provide x-ray and stitches onsite, most insurances are accepted, and will take walk-ins or online reservations available seven days a week. “We are pleased to add this new, convenient access to care for our friends, family and neighbors who live and work in this growing area of our region,” said Jimm Bunch, President & CEO of Park Ridge Health. “AdventHealth Centra Care Arden will bring you the same level of whole-person care – mind, body and spirit – you have come to expect from Park Ridge Health. And we are bringing it to you when and where you need it.” AdventHealth Centra Care Arden will provide instant access to quality physician care for newcomers, travelers, people without a primary care physician or who can’t get an appointment with their physician. It is equipped with the latest urgent care equipment, we can treat urgent, non-life-threatening medical conditions for adults and children. It is slated to open in spring, 2019. AdventHealth Centra Care Arden will provide high-quality, comprehensive care for patients and is slated to open in spring, 2019. AdventHealth Centra Care Arden will be located at 436 Airport Road, Arden, at the intersection of Airport and Rockwood roads. Also coming to the new building along Airport Road is the newest PT Solutions practice, Park Ridge Health physical therapy group partner. The team delivers research-driven treatments to promote relief and help people experience a return to wholeness.   Read Story »

Mills River Business

Cono Sur brings taste
 of Chile and Peru to Mills River

MILLS RIVER — Travel from Hendersonville to Mills River and you’ll cross into the culture of Peru, Chile and even Puerto Rico.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

French Broad: A Kitchen & Wine Bar opens next week downtown

Just over 170 years ago, river partisans and road partisans fought over where to locate the town of Hendersonville, the seat of the newly formed Henderson County.   Read Story »

Henderson County Business

Need speed? Towns seek input on broadband network

Your cable TV may be fine for watching the nightly news and the NFL but could it cut out or buffer less while streaming? Would you take advantage of a video call to the doctor’s office if you were suffering from a bug that didn’t seem to warrant a visit to a clinic? Would you like to work from home without having to worry about whether you could transmit a 100-mg graphic to your client?   Read Story »

Hendersonville Business

Planning Board endorses Walmart's color change

Eighteen years ago, when Walmart announced its move from the Eastridge Crossing shopping center to the new Highland Square, the Hendersonville City Council held two different public meetings to discuss the look of the discount giant’s new store.   Read Story »

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