News

City OKs rezoning for HHS project; traffic flow changes in the works

By Bill Moss, Published: August 1, 2019

The Hendersonville City Council gave a final blessing to the Hendersonville High School renovation and construction plans on Thursday night, voting unanimously to rezone the campus to allow the $60 million construction project.

In stark contrast to the drama 2½ years ago, when the City Council and Board of Commissioners were sharply divided over the plans, council members voted unanimously for the rezoning. The new plan saves the historic Stillwell core building and auditorium that is the setting for the school’s most hallowed traditions, adds a new classroom building and practice gym and replaces the band room, cafeteria and vocational-ed building. The Board of Commissioners have committed informally to funding artificial turf at Dietz Field and replacing the track.

City Council members agreed with residents who implored them to seek changes to the traffic pattern and pedestrian crosswalks around the school. Lonnie Watkins, the top NCDOT engineer in Henderson County, told the council his agency is looking at requiring changes that would alleviate most of the concerns the residents highlighted, including adding a traffic signal and making pedestrian crossings safe.

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