For the Henderson County Board of Commissioners March 5 Republican primary, Jay Egolf is up against incumbent David Hill for the District 5 set, and Sheila Franklin is challenging incumbent Daniel Andreotta for the District 2 seat. Democrat Erik Weber will face the winner of the District 2 seat in the Nov. 5 general election.
The Times-News emailed questionnaires to the candidates in the primary, and responses are included below.
The basics
David Hill, 57, owner of Hill and Associates Land Surveyors. Lives in Tuxedo.
Daniel Andreotta, 57, Financial Advisor and Founder of Integrity Financial Group. Lives in Henderson County.
Jay Egolf, 53, President of Egolf Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram in Brevard. Lives in Hendersonville.
Sheila Franklin, 63, retired teacher. Lives in Fletcher.
What do you think are the top issues affecting residents of the county, and how what is your plan to solve those?
Hill: I have good news to share folks, Henderson County is in great shape and it is a great place for residents to call home. However, like any area, the residents of Henderson County do face issues. I believe the top issues are (1) Management of Growth, (2) Supporting Agriculture and (3) Addiction and Homelessness. First, Henderson County is growing and this growth affects residents daily. My plan to address growth is to advocate for and support efforts to properly direct public utilities, like water and sewer, to areas suited for growth. Managing utility placement will help prevent overburdening our roads and public utilities. Second, supporting and preserving agriculture and farmland is a top issue. Agriculture is the backbone of Henderson County and supports many families and businesses. My plan to address this issue is to prioritize bringing in new agricultural markets to the area, building a farmers market and seeking new AG industries. I will also support our AG agencies and educational opportunities, such as FFA, 4H and the Farm Apprentice Program. Finally, homelessness and addiction are issues residents see or face daily. My plan to address these issues is to support initiatives that create awareness for the resources and services available in our County, including rehabilitation services, shelters and agencies. Henderson County will also need to work closely with our sheriff’s department and health department to address homeless camps in the county.
Andreotta: The overarching issue in my view that encompasses all others is protecting what we hold dear. We have a great quality of life in Henderson County, and it would be a shame to see it wither. From phenomenal public safety including law enforcement, EMS, fire protection, etc., to quality education, including the community college, we are blessed here. Out of the 29 N.C. counties with over 100,000 population, we are fourth from the bottom in tax rates. So, we enjoy great stewardship. We balance minimum government and citizen freedom with proper guidelines that benefit the entire community. Keeping and protecting that balance is paramount.
Egolf: Handling growth with archaic zoning is a top issue facing Henderson County. We’ve seen different parts of the county battle growth issues that are incompatible with their communities such as storage units in the Crab Creek area, density issues in the Etowah community, properly providing sewer in Edneyville without commercializing the area, disappearance of farmland all over the county only to be replaced with townhouses and now efforts to commercialize the Evans Road area. We have outdated zoning and are losing what has attracted all of us to Henderson County. Also, bad votes like filling in the floodplains and mistaken philosophy’s like the 2045 comp plan are other top issues facing our county. Henderson County is not out of land so we don’t need to put people or businesses in floodplains, for example. I would solve this by promoting Smart Growth and having a common sense zoning philosophy. There are areas in the county that need to grow and other areas where the natural beauty needs to remain the same. Right now, the current attitude of “anywhere developments” is not working out. As further proof, look at our 2045 comp land-use plan. A majority of commissioners have been watering this down for two years, and there is very little zoning and land development planning and then the commissioners delayed the approval of the plan until after the election. Why? As far as bad votes, push for re-votes, if our Board of Commissioners has a different makeup.
Franklin: I’ve spoken to as many residents and stakeholders within the county as I could in the last few months. Many will say the main issue is the rapid growth we have faced in the last few years. My job is to be engaged with residents, work hand in hand with the planning board. The LDC should reflect what is needed to encourage balance in growth while protecting the natural beauty that we all love and want to preserve as much as reasonably possible.
How do you feel the county can responsibly handle growth with housing and other proposed developments?
Hill: I believe the best way for the County to responsibly handle growth is through proper direction of infrastructure. It is no secret that Henderson County is growing. The US population is shifting to the Southeast, with North Carolina being one of the top states receiving these citizens. However, growth is limited by the availability of three key items: (1) land, (2) access to water and (3) access to sewer. High density developments are not feasible without sewer and water. I believe that the County can manage and limit future growth by being strategic with the placement of these utilities. Currently, the County and the City of Hendersonville are in discussions regarding the creation of an independent Water Sewer Commission. I do not wish more regulations on the citizens of Henderson County, especially when I am aware that zoning is not the only answer to the problem. Henderson County is already zoned and our Land Development Code is over 400 pages. I do believe that a review of the Land Development Code is a needed step in the effort to manage growth. Ultimately, proper direction of utilities is one of the best ways for a County to handle growth with housing and other developments.
Andreotta: This is the topic we hear the most concerns about. We can guide growth to some degree. It needs to largely appear where the necessary services are already in place. This is typically in and/or closest to the municipalities. However, they often have their own codes and guidelines. We are also actively advancing workforce housing that promotes home ownership, conducting a ribbon cutting on two new homes last week. I also have, and will no doubt again express concern regarding road capacity, and other infrastructure concerns. We have to factor these and other limitations in whenever we are considering a new project, while not acting in a way that harms a citizen’s property value. Proper guidelines are a must, but not to the point we are ruling land use in a heavy-handed manner.
Egolf: I’ve always felt that Henderson County needs to grow in some areas but not others. We need to put housing developments on five-lane roads where it’s easy to get to our highways and interstates. Think of Spartanburg Highway heading east and Asheville highway heading north. These are five-lane roads with easy access to U.S. 25 and Interstate 26 and are good places to think about housing, not in the middle of the county like Etowah. Etowah is miles from the main arteries of the county where I heard one commissioner say it’s a great place for density, because it’s on a corridor (that’s two lanes), has sewer and water (the sewer has issues and the water main went down in January) and has an Ingles. Really?
Franklin: There are better options for housing that has not been explored here but are in place in other states. We need to aggressively seek the best housing options for our workforce to take care of those that work here yet have to live somewhere else. Smaller neighborhoods with shared green areas, etc. — housing that is targeted for first responders, teachers, etc.
How do you feel about the Comprehensive Plan and how it was handled? Do you believe anything should’ve been handled differently?
Hill: The Comprehensive Plan is a requirement by the state for enacting and enforcing zoning. The Land Development Code (current zoning for the entire county) was adopted in 2007, after adoption of the 2004 Comprehensive Plan. I believe our current draft of the Comprehensive Plan reflects planning for future years. For example, I have supported changes, such as the reduction of infill in Etowah, to reduce density off the U.S. 64 corridor. Further, I believe that the Henderson County Board of Commissioners has handled the 2045 Comprehensive Plan responsibly and in a positive manner. The majority of the changes made were approved unanimously. The Comprehensive Plan is just that, a plan. It can and will be revised over time by the future Board of Commissioners. The plan will be reviewed every five years and an update will be conducted after 10 years. It should be flexible to address issues in the future that cannot be foreseen at this time.
Andreotta: The work on the 2045 Comp Plan is ongoing. It is very tedious and detailed, so it takes quite a bit of time. The N.C. legislature requires we do this. A very important fact about the plan is that it is visionary, not regulatory. The document plainly states that it can be altered in part or whole at any time. No commissioners can bind a future board. As to the ongoing work, we are being very intentional area by area throughout the county. For example, we all submitted map proposals that reduced the density in the Etowah community, having heard citizen concerns. Our communities have a great deal of uniqueness in each one, so it is important to approach this with a scalpel and not a machete. Every square foot of Henderson County is not the same.
Egolf: It appears finalizing the comprehensive land-use plan was kicked down the road to not excite people before the election. And after the election is over, the commissioners will pass the watered down comprehensive land-use plan that does not have as much effort towards smart growth or zoning, which is needed to organize Henderson County’s land use. Great feedback was given on the comprehensive land-use plan. A majority of commissioners weakened the comp. plan, and now there is a gap between the input and the actual land-use plan. Why is this? I would agree with the public input and support strengthening the land use plan. And then the plan was delayed until after the election? I wonder why? We need to make a change in 2024 or it will be too late in 2028. We need to stop unorganized growth in Henderson County or it will become more like our neighboring county to the North.
Franklin: The comprehensive plan went through so many revisions and changes that it’s possibly lost the original vision … what residents have repeatedly asked for. Keep it simple, reflect what was asked for and move on.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Q&A for Henderson Co. Board of Commissioners primary candidates
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