The Town of Laurel ParkO F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R F O R T H E T O W N O F L A U R E L P A R K

H I D D E N T R E A S U R E S

B Y : S A L L Y J E T E R G R E G G

If you’re a newcomer to the Laurel Parkcommunity, like I am, it’s easy to see whythis panoramic perch has long drawnlegions of visitors. Beyond the breathtakingviews around every corner and the vast

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night skies that fill with stars,this mountain is adorned withhidden treasures and a host ofresidents who treasure itshistory.

In the early 1900s, whendroves of tourists made theirway to Laurel Park to collectthe fresh spring water thatcascaded down the mountainand pooled into the popularCrystal Spring, this sweet spotwas quite the gathering place.Today, while the water is nolonger potable and the Springis not the draw it used to be,this shady little haven off thebeaten path is still inviting.Almost forgotten until the mid-80’s, local leaders have workedhard over the years to restore

mitigate some minor issueswith the main water flow.Local resident Jenny Brownsaid the group enlisted thehelp of landscape architectTricia King in adding morethan 160 native plants to thearea. "We wanted to ensurewe used plants that areindigenous to the area andwould complement thesetting. Tricia gave generouslyof her time on this project andan anonymous donorpurchased the plants as a giftto the community. If youhaven't been to Crystal Springlately," says Brown, "or you'venever known it's there - treatyourself to some quiet timeand see if it doesn't quenchthe soul."

its charm. Thanks to the most recent effortsof the Parks and Greenways Advisory Board,the Friends of Laurel Park, and a willingcommittee of volunteers more than a dozenfolks gathered this Fall to prune, plant, and

If you'd like to be alerted about workdays at CSP, email sallyjetergregg@gmail.com.

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T H E C L I P P E R S

Winter has arrived and as we draw near tothe end of this rather unique year, I amthankful for being a part of our “Small Townon a Mountain”. Despite the limitationsplaced on all of us from COVID-19, I feelfortunate that we have a multitude ofbeautiful open space available to walk, bike,and discover within the community.Through the year, I have seen more andmore neighbors spending time outdoorsworking in their yards, making homeimprovements, walking, or visiting ourparks. We live in a very special place!

Safety has become paramount for residentsand staff alike, during this difficult period.The Town has made every effort to providethe same level of quality service whilelimiting direct personal contact. Restrictedaccess to Town Hall has redirected ourefforts to find other means of meeting,communicating, and conducting Townbusiness. Our Advisory Boards and TownCouncil have now become quite proficientin Zoom meetings.

To manage future growth and to ensure thecharacter of the Town is maintained, Staffand the Planning Board are currentlydevoting significant time to the creation of anew Unified Development Ordinance(UDO).

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Commissioner's CornerGeorge W. Banta

Picture from www.romanticasheville.com

The UDO will serve as a blueprint for futuredevelopment and environmental protectionwithin the Town. The Town is working tocomplete the UDO document by year-end orearly 2021.

One of Laurel Park’s greatest assets is the vastnumber of volunteers participating in Townprojects and on Advisory Boards. Parks &Greenways are building new trails andcoordinating with Friends of Laurel Park in an“Adopt a Garden” program to enhance theplantings around Town. Home improvementsand new construction activities are keepingour Board of Adjustments and Planning Boardvery busy, ensuring everything is being doneaccording to regulation. Considerable effort iscurrently underway by Public Works to finishup on brush collection, leaf pickup, and inpreparation for our next snow event. Inclosing, I wish you all the best for a greatHoliday Season! Please stay safe and stay well!George W. Banta, Commissioner

TAKE OUR SURVEY!TAKE OUR SURVEY!Laurel Park is issuing a

"Communication Survey" to allresidents. Your responses will help

the Town understand whatcommunication tools are best for

you! Surveys will be mailed, but canalso be completed online. Please

check the Town's website for moreinformation at www.laurelpark.org

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Give plenty of time

Transfer the coals and ashes to a metalbucket using a metal scoop or fireplaceshovelRemove the metal bucket outside andaway from any combustiblesPour water over the ashes and stir(saturate)Give plenty of time for the ashes tocompletely cool before pouring the bucketout

Proper Disposal of Fireplace AshImproper disposal of hot coals or ashes fromfireplaces and wood stoves can causestructure fires and brush fires. In fact, coalsand ashes from the fireplace may seem coolbut still can have embers that can ignite evena day later.

Valley Hill Fire & Rescue recommends the following these simple tips to dispose of theashes:

for the ashes to cool in the fireplace

The Friends of Laurel Park (FLP) hope that allof you had a wonderful holiday season and wewish you a Happy New Year.

Looking back, 2020 was a difficult year for allof us. FLP had to cancel three music concertsat Jump Off Rock and a number of otherevents. However, there were someaccomplishments. In conjunction with thetown, we had a natural stage built at Jump OffRock which can be used for many futureevents. We will have a safety railing andplantings behind the stage completed withinthe next four months. With the help andleadership of Parks and Greenways, wecreated a few new walking trails, improvedexisting trails, and created new signs for manyof these trails. In addition, new trails,plantings, and clearing of vines have also beendone at Crystal Spring Park. Looking ahead,we hope to hold events again soon, and FLPwill also be assisting in planning for the 2025Town Centennial.

We are very grateful for the continuedsupport from our residents for our nonprofitorganization. If you would like to donate,please send a check made out to FLP, 441-BWhite Pine Dr, Laurel Park, NC 28739.

Ed Mattern,President, Friends of Laurel Park

The Town of Laurel Park welcomes newManagement Technician Halee Ratcliff to thestaff at Town Hall. Halee is a graduate ofAppalachian State Univesity ('18 & '20) whereshe received a Masters of Public Administration,

Fireplace Safety

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Friends of Laurel Park

New Employee Spotlight

focusing on Town, City,and County Management.Halee assists with day-to-day tasks includingplanning, zoning budgetpreparation, stormwatermanagement, research & analysis, and Geographic InformationSystem (GIS).

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The brush and leaves collected by the Town arecomposted and ground into mulch which ismade available to residents. This is double-ground mulch, a good product for erosioncontrol and landscaping needs. The Towndoesn’t profit from the mulch sale, but benefitsby repeatedly using the same property to storeyard waste.

Sign-up is first-come, first-serve beginning 9:00a.m. on Wednesday, March 3rd.

Due to COVID-19, the mulch sale sign-ups willlook different this year. In order to maintaineveryone’s safety, the town is currently workingto develop an efficient and fair method formulch purchases that take into account currentCOVID-19 guidelines. The Town will be postingmore information about the event on ourwebsite and Facebook on February 13th, soplease be on the lookout!

The cost is $50 for approximately 8 cubic yardsand a limit of 5 loads per address. Delivery willbe scheduled when the weather and PublicWorks schedule allows. Loads are typicallydelivered to the edge of the road. If a residentrequests delivery to their property, they mustindicate this at purchase. Canceled loads arecharged a $30 fee. This is to discourageresidents from buying more loads than theyneed, and then cancelling when delivery isscheduled.

Brush cannot be picked up if it is not by theroadside. It must not protrude into theroadway or obstruct traffic in any manner.Limbs and branches should not be morethan 3 in. diameter. Larger limbs will not becollected.The Town will not collect brush from amajor landscape or clearing operationBrush placed at any time other than thedesignated fall and spring collection will notbe picked up, and the resident will benotified of the violation

Beginning the week of March 29th, PublicWorks will collect brush placed by the roadsidefor the spring brush collection service. Brushplaced after March 29th will not be collected.Every effort is made to collect brush quickly,but the process takes approximately onemonth to complete.

Bagged leaves are collected first. Please usepaper bags and submit your request throughthe Town website or call Town Hall forcollection within 3 business days.

PLACE TREES OUT BY JANUARY10TH

Christmas tree pick-up has beenextended until January 10. Treesmust be placed by the road byJanuary 10th, 2021 for collection.Residents are responsible for thedisposal of trees after January 10th.

Christmas TreeCollection

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Spring Brush CollectionPLACE BRUSH BY MARCH 13-28, PICKUP

BEGINS MARCH 29

Mulch SaleMARCH 3 @ 9 AM

$50 - 8 CUBIC YARDS

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CALENDARJanuary 1January 10January 18March 3March 13March 28March 29

New Year's Day - Town Offices ClosedChristmas Trees must be placed outMartin Luther King Jr. Day - Town Offices ClosedMulch SaleBegin placing brush out for Spring collectionLast day to place brush out for Spring collectionSpring brush collection begins

Public Meeting ScheduleMeetings held at Town Hall unless otherwise

notedTown Council Regular Meeting3rd Tuesday @ 9:30 a.m.

Town Council Work SessionThursday prior to Regular Meeting @ 9:30a.m.

Parks & Greenways Board 2nd Tuesday @ 9:30 a.m.

Planning Board2nd Tuesday @ 3:00 p.m.

ABC Board  4th Tuesday @ 8:30 a.m. at the ABC Store

Zoning Board of Adjustment  Every other month (odd); Thursday priorto Regular Council meeting @ 4:00 p.m.

Tax Collection (prior to 2018)Utility BillingSanitationZoning

Water/SewerStreet

Town Hall                               693-48409:00 am – 5:00 pm Mon - Fri

·         Public Works                           692-7568

7 am – 4 pm Mon – Fri   After hours                           697-3025

Police Office                           692-9399(non-emergency)

Police Non-Emergency 697-3025

Valley Hill Fire                       692-2581

Mayor: J. Carey O’CainMayor Pro-Tem: Nancy P. McKinleyCommissioners: A. Paul HansenGeorge W. BantaKristin DunnManager: Christopher Todd Town Clerk: Tamara AminFinance Officer: Heather SmithManagement Tech: Halee RatcliffPolice Chief: Bobbie TrotterInterim Public Works Superintendent: Brandon Johnson