Home Care In Candler, NC

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A controversy is growing surrounding the effort by Mission Health to build a free-standing emergency medical facility in western Buncombe County. The proposed facility would serve the communities of Enka/Candler, Canton and West Asheville.

AdventHealth, Mission Health jockey over emergency care in western Buncombe County

The Candler area location was one of two free-standing emergency room facilities Mission had applied for with the state and was granted, once receiving a certificate of need. The certificate is required and shows that the applicant was able to demonstrate that the facility is needed in the given area or region.

Mission received certificates of need, clearing the way for it to build emergency facilities in Arden and the Candler area. AdventHealth appealed the decision, and a judge overturned the approval for the proposed Candler facility on the grounds that Mission had failed to offer the public an opportunity for a full hearing on the proposed project.

As a result, Mission has now submitted a new application for a CON and has scheduled an answer session for the public and a full hearing on June 19.

The proposed location for the Mission ER facility is on a parcel of land already owned by Mission. The multi-acre site is just off Smokey Park Highway at the intersection with Interstate 40. It’s a location that, according to AdventHealth, doesn’t need an emergency facility.

“Does Buncombe County already have an ED (emergency department) available to them through what Mission has,” AdventHealth spokesperson Victoria Dunkle asked. “And the answer to that is yes.”

MISSION HOSPITAL WANTS TO BUILD $29 MILLION EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY

But, for locals, like Biltmore Lake resident Louise Glickman, having an emergency facility close by could mean the difference between life and death.

“There’s a need for a hospital here,” she said. “Time is important. With a heart attack, stroke - minutes matter.”

CLINICS CLOSED, DOZENS OF DOCTORS LEAVE MISSION HEALTH SINCE HCA TAKEOVER

Mission Health released a statement, saying, “These ERs are solutions to help meet the needs of our community and bring quicker access to emergency care.”

But why then, Dunkle asked, did Mission close the urgent care facility it operated in the area? She also noted that Mission’s land purchase is for far more acreage than would be necessary for a stand-alone ER facility.

MISSION HOSPITAL LOOKS FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR FREESTANDING ER IN CANDLER

AdventHealth has submitted its own application to build a hospital in the area.

According to Dunkle, “The state said AdventHealth’s plan to do that in Buncombe County was the right plan, and so we do have that hospital coming.”

Regardless, Mission hopes to again be granted a certificate-of-need to move forward with the Candler-area emergency facility. In a statement, its spokesperson said, "We have applied again for an ER and are optimistic that we will again be granted the CON for this much-needed location.”

ADVENTHEALTH ANNOUNCES STATE APPROVAL FOR NEW HOSPITAL IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY

For residents, like Glickman, the need is more obvious and the concern is less about who wins and more about putting the needs of area residents first.

“We’re looking for people over profits. We want a hospital that’s going to be engaged with our community," Glickman said.

For now, the process continued with a Tuesday night question/answer session at Starnes Cove Baptist Church, which will be followed by a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. June 19 at A-B Tech's Ferguson Auditorium.

CANDLER, N.C. (WLOS) — Water woes have turned into a water crisis for many residents who have still yet to see their water restored.

As of Monday, the City of Asheville said that all service has been restored to the entire southern service area, in addition, all boil water advisories have been lifted.

In the western area, boil water advisories still remain where water has been restored.

'They’re just leaving us stranded out here,' a week without water

SOUTH ASHEVILLE AREA HAS WATER, MANY CANDLER KNOB AND SPIVEY MOUNTAIN CUSTOMERS STILL DRY

For many in the Candler community, they’re going on a week without water and no answers.

Justin and Amber have lived out in their trailer park in Candler for years, they said that they’ve never experienced an outage to last this long.

“When you’ve got disabled people all around the trailer park, we’ve got elderly people that can’t get out and get their water,” expressed Justin.

They lost water last Monday, and since then Justin said they have reached out to the city every day.

He said that the city’s response has been that they’re on a list and that crews will be coming out.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OUTAGE MAP

When they called again on Friday to ask why no crews had come out yet, Justin said they were told by the city that they weren’t on the list.

They explained the situation again and as no crews came once again over the weekend, they called Monday morning.

“Called this morning we have no reports of yall being out of water and we don’t even know that you’re out of water, it’s so frustrating,” Justin expressed.

He added the frustration has grown as they can’t wash their kids' clothes and continue to haul water in for their neighbors in need.

“I know we’re at the bottom of the list but we’d just like a little bit of water, our kids go to school tomorrow they haven’t been able to get showers,” he said.

When asked what questions Justin would like answered from the city, he said that they would just like to be acknowledged.

He explained how they just keep getting told by the city that crews are coming and then days later there are no crews and the city doesn’t know anything about a water outage in their area.

Justin said he just wants his community to be acknowledged that they don't have water.

He said the response they’ve gotten from the city has left them feeling stranded.

“It would be nice if the city would just either tell us the truth or give us a time that they’re going to have water restored back in this community,” Justin expressed.

Justin’s family isn’t the only one out in the Candler community that has felt these same struggles.

That has led to groups coming together and providing water distribution sites for those still without water.

Those groups include Asheville for Justice, Asheville Survival Program, and Mutual Aid Disaster Relief.

One member, Grace Barron-Martinez said that she had heard from people that there’s been a lot of distrust in the timelines for restoration that the city has given.

“We just decided to come out and make sure people got what they needed because the city’s communication has been so poor and we’re just trying to meet people where they’re at,” Grace expressed.

Grace added that they believed that they need to know why there hasn’t been a greater response of communication and getting water to the people in need from the city.

“Clearly a lot has gone wrong, and this is a major disaster and we are not sure why there aren’t more hands on the ground,” said Grace.

She said that it seemed that the city doesn’t even have a clear understanding of who doesn’t have water.

'WE WILL DO BETTER' OFFICIALS SAY THEY AIM TO PREVENT FUTURE, WIDESPREAD WATER OUTAGES

“Lots of people come by and say well my neighbor doesn’t have a car you know or people don’t have access to the internet, people don’t have cellphones so the ways that the city has been communicating have not made a lot of sense.”

Another member, Elliot Patterson explained how they’ve had distribution sites set up in Candler since Friday due to a lack of communication from the city.

“I think there’s still definitely a need for this kind of community of neighbors helping neighbors,” Elliot expressed.

When asked what questions should be addressed to the city, Elliot expressed that there’s a big question mark as to why communication was not given early enough for people to plan for this outage.

They will continue to donate water to those in need on Tuesday.

Anyone who is able to make donations can do so from 11am-6pm at Starnes Cove Baptist Church.

Other ways to help them be able to continue donating water is to donate monetarily through their Venmo: @AshevilleforJustice or their CashApp: $streets1de

The city will hold another press conference on the water service restoration process on Tuesday at 4pm.

ASHEVILLE — Buncombe County is now under a flash flood warning until 5 p.m. Jan. 9 for "life threatening flash flooding," as announced by the National Weather Service.

"At 12:11 p.m., emergency management reported flooding and swift water rescues in the Candler area," the alert said. "Between 2.5 and 4 inches of rain have fallen. ... Additional flooding remains possible on pretty much any tributary of the French Broad River, especially along Hominy Creek."

Heavy rain is increasing the risk of landslides, according to the NWS. The weather service advises the following:

Heavy rain, very windy conditions and the threat of flooding will impact Western North Carolina through this evening, causing road closures and forcing some school districts to switch to remote learning for Jan. 9.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order Jan. 8 declaring a state of emergency ahead of the severe weather, waiving truck weight, size and hours of service restrictions so that vehicles carrying essential supplies can get their jobs done quickly, his office announced.

The Asheville Regional Airport has already received 1.45 inches by 7 a.m., according to meteorologist Jake Wimberley with the National Weather Service. Wimberley said the area could receive 1.5 to 2 inches through 7 p.m.

"A number of sites across the Southern mountains closer to the South Carolina border that are already at 2 to 3 inches of rain," Wimberly said. "Rain is going to continue through the morning and rainfall rates may still increase as thunderstorms move north into the area."

The NWS previously told the Citizen Times that Asheville will see an estimated 2.8 inches of precipitation from this storm system. To the south, in areas of Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and Transylvania counties, there could be up to 6 inches of rain.

A flood watch is still in effect for all of the North Carolina mountains, except Madison, Swain and Graham counties, according to Wimberley. Flash flooding along small streams and minor or main stem river flooding is possible, according to the NWS.

A wind advisory has also been issued and extended across the North Carolina mountains from 10 p.m. Jan. 9 through 1 p.m. Jan. 10.

Near Asheville, the peak chance of thunderstorms Jan. 9 is between 9 a.m. and noon in Hendersonville and Brevard. But more "impactful" thunderstorms and the threat of severe weather is mostly going to be "upstate South Carolina and over toward Charlotte," Wimberley said.

The NWS is expecting a cold front to pass through with this weather system, and temperatures are expected to cool by this evening. Higher elevations near the Tennessee border should see precipitation change over to snow, with the highest peaks getting 2 to 3 inches, Wimberley said. However, Asheville is expected to stay too warm for any snow accumulation.

"One thing that has changed is the winter advisory that was in effect for some of the mountains has expired," Wimberley said, noting that the warning expired at 7 a.m. "There were some areas that got some ice accretion in the northern mountains, but temperatures are warming, they're already right at freezing and continuing to warm."

More info on storms Jan. 9:WNC 'dynamic storm system' will bring heavy rain, possible flooding to Asheville area

Closures and power outages

Some roads in the area have closed due to weather conditions, including the entire Blue Ridge Parkway for snow, ice and incoming weather, according to the park's website.

In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the following roads are closed due to downed trees: Newfound Gap Road, Laurel Creek Road, Cades Cove Loop Road, Foothills Parkway West (the new section), Cherokee Orchard Road, Greenbrier Road, Tremont Road, Lakeview Drive and Little River Road from Sugar Lands Visitor Center to Metcalf Bottoms.

West Chapel Road between Hendersonville Road and Sweeten Creek Road is closed both directions in Asheville until 5 p.m., according to DriveNC.gov. The following roads in and around Asheville are also closed, as of 3:45 p.m.:

The N.C. Department of Transportation has already seen multiple reported incidents on the roads, as announced on social media. If anyone must drive, N.C. DOT advises the following:

Because of flooding from Hominy Creek, the Buncombe County Transfer Station and County Garage will close at 3 p.m. Jan. 9, according to a news release from Buncombe County.

"The Buncombe Landfill at 85 Panther Branch Road is open on its regular schedule until 4:30 p.m. for waste and recycling needs," the release said. "Loads requiring more than 30 minutes to unload must be in the landfill by 4 p.m."

About 362 Duke Energy customers in Buncombe County are out of power as of 1:30 p.m. Jan. 9 due to downed lines and trees having fallen on lines and poles, according to spokesperson Madison McDonald. She said that most of these outages are scattered across the county and power will be restored between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. tonight.

"We have crews actively out doing repairs," McDonald told the Citizen Times. "Our crews are going to continue work as long as it takes, and as long as it's safe to do so."

Schools switch to online learning

Buncombe County Schools and Asheville City Schools will have asynchronous remote learning Jan. 9 due to severe weather conditions, as announced in emails sent to staff.

Jan. 9 will also be an optional teacher workday for Buncombe County Schools. Teachers will upload assignments to their Learning Management System by 10 a.m. for students to work on at their own pace, the email said.

Assignments must be completed and turned in within five school days, according to the BCS announcement.

"Ten- and 11-month staff may work or use accrued leave by logging their absence in Red Rover," the email said. "12-month staff may work or take leave with supervisor permission. Staff who are able to complete their job functions from home may work remotely, with supervisor approval."

Full list of school delays, closings:School closings, delays in Western North Carolina for Jan. 9

City parks closed due to flooding

As severe weather continues to move through the area, some city parks have been closed due to flooding Jan. 9, including:

BCS lunches

Certain Buncombe County schools will still provide lunch Jan. 9 between noon and 1 p.m.

"Families may come to one of the schools listed below with their students and join them in the cafeteria," the announcement said. "Adults are welcome to purchase a meal as well."

Schools serving lunch include:

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

ASHEVILLE - A 336-unit multi-family residential complex dubbed “The One at Candler,” was granted a special use permit during the Sept. 13 Buncombe County Board of Adjustment meeting. The special use permit will allow the construction of the planned unit development.

Miami-based One Real Estate Investment is developing the residential complex, adding to a chain of ‘The One’ apartment complexes across North Carolina and South Carolina.

The permit was approved in a unanimous 6-0 vote.

North Carolina complexes are located in Fayetteville and Hope Mills. A South Carolina complex is in Spartanburg.

Located at 24 Queen Road in Candler, the complex will include 12 residential structures and nine accessory structures, including a clubhouse, a pool, dog parks, a playground and a pickleball court.

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The units at “The One at Candler” will be available for rent, but will not be short-term rental properties. Currently, "the developer has not indicated a willingness to accommodate for affordability," according to the Buncombe County staff report on the development.

Prior to approval, ‘witnesses’ can speak to the quality or impact that the development may have. Board of Adjustment meetings are quasi-judicial, meaning that board members can only look at facts, sworn testimony and laws when making decisions and leave personal opinion aside, additionally meaning that only those deemed to have standing ? those who will be affected directly ? can oppose zoning changes.

In the case of ‘The One,’ primarily local landowners and residents came to speak about the increased traffic on Queen Road due to the development. No standing applications were approved.

Clifford Warren, representing the Pinnacle Valley Property Owners Association, said that he came to testify after his wife experienced a head-on collision on Queen Road.

“That’s one of my biggest concerns — for the safety,” Warren said. “You have five schools that utilize that road.”

During the proposal of the property, traffic analysis was performed on the area and a subsequent traffic impact report was released as part of proposal documents.

Warren Sugg from Civil Design Concepts, who had been hired by the developer, said that many expressed worries about traffic during a community meeting held the week of Sept. 4, but current road conditions are largely regulated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

“We’re not at liberty to go take other people’s property or take other people’s right of way,” Sugg said. “In fact, we had some neighbors who said that while they wished the road was wider, they wouldn’t be willing to give up land to make it wider.”

The development will add turn lanes so residents can more easily enter the new development.

Wilderness Ridge moved to Oct. 11

During the Sept. 13 meeting, the Board of Adjustments moved to continue the hearing for the 74-condominium development, Wilderness Ridge at Biltmore Lake, to the Oct. 11 Board of Adjustments meeting. The development, if approved, will be located off of Reeves Cove Road.

The continued hearing came as local landowner Amanda Campbell was found to have standing during the quasi-judicial process where board members gauge possible damages the development could bring. Campbell had just retained an attorney, which motivated the continuation.

“I’ve only been recently retained and I need additional time in order to be prepared for hearing,” said Campbell's attorney John Noor.

Campbell’s standing application states that the development could lead to increased pollution, traffic and force out local wildlife, like deer, red foxes and coyotes. The 59-acre project is directly adjacent to Campbell’s property.

The matter is set to be resolved during the Oct. 11 meeting.

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected].

Nov. 30, 2023 - A brush fire ignited Thursday afternoon, Nov. 30, in Candler along Hookers Gap Road, growing to about three acres before being completely contained. A shed was damaged, though the fire threatened two other structures. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)

CANDLER, N.C. (WLOS) — While many burn bans have been lifted in counties across Western North Carolina, that doesn’t mean brush fires disappear.

One ignited earlier Thursday afternoon in Candler along Hookers Gap Road. It was contained in less than an hour and nobody was injured.

However, those that live along the road still felt concerned.

Candler brush fire another reminder of how dangerous dry conditions can be

CREWS BATTLE TWO WILDFIRES IN MCDOWELL COUNTY; TRAVELERS URGED TO BE CAUTIOUS OF SMOKE

“I could see it just kind of fuming out right there out of the forest,” resident Marcello Della Barba said. “I was thinking if I had to gather my things or prepare to evacuate the area because it could be moving in.”

But fire units from Enka-Candler, Upper Hominy, West Buncombe and the North Carolina Forest Service were able to contain the fire from spreading further than three acres.

A one-story home, an outhouse and a wooden shed were in the vicinity of the flames, but only the shed sustained damage.

While a cause was not given, the situation is another reminder of the danger of the lingering dry conditions.

“You still need to be cautious,” Enka-Candler Fire and Rescue Chief Howard Beddingfield said. “The duff area underneath the exposed ground is still very dry even though we’ve had a little bit of rain. The weather is improving, especially for people in our area of expertise, but things are still dry.”

Some residents in areas surrounded by forests like Della Barba were pleased to see a burn ban in place in Buncombe County when it was.

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“It made me feel good to see the burn ban in effect,” he said. “I had been seeing tons and tons of fires [along Hookers Gap Road].”

Whether the ban is in place or not, Chief Beddingfield said he believes people should be taking caution either way.

“For people living somewhere in the rural areas that has a lot of wooded areas to clear out the leaves around their home,” he said. “Things to do to protect them if they do have a fire.”