Hears plans for bike ride through Hayesville
-
Photo by Ron Wallace The Hayesville Town Council viewed photographs of the walking trails from Cherokee Village up to the Old Jail Museum.
By Lorraine Bennett
Staff Writer
The Hayesville Town Council voted Monday to accept revisions to the town’s zoning ordinances, heard plans for Hayesville’s participation in the Cycle N.C. Mountains Ride for 2024 and noted the town’s new electric vehicle charging station is fully operational.
The first business of the evening was a public hearing on changes made to Hayesville’s Zoning Ordinances and Sign Regulations. Since no members of the public appeared before the council to comment, the revisions were accepted and approved.
Zoning Administrator Ron Wallace said the table of contents remains the same and some definitions have been clarified. “I tried to make it more accessible and simpler for the next person who reviews it,” Wallace said of the document detailing ordinances and regulations. A major change was in the title. Zoning and Sign Ordinance becomes Zoning Ordinances and Sign Regulations.
Wallace said proposed section 1800 on short term rentals, a topic generating some controversy at last September’s council meeting, remains tabled for further discussion. The council has been awaiting action from the N.C. Legislature on the matter of short term rentals, but so far none has been taken.
Mayor Joe Slaton said Hayesville’s EV charging station is up and running and the charging fee for vehicles is $3.50 per hour. The state still must complete a site inspection before grant money for the project is released, he said. The charging station is located behind Town Hall.
Rod Fortney, representing Cycle N.C. and the Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association, disclosed plans for the Cycle North Carolina Mountains Ride for 2024 to come through the Hayesville area during the weekend of Aug. 2-4.
Murphy is a host city for the ride, which Fortney said could draw between 200 and 300 or more cyclists who will be riding through Hayesville on Saturday, Aug. 3. He said already more than 150 cyclists have registered for the ride.
“My hope is to make this a recurring event,” Fortney said. “The base camp is in Murphy. This is a great economic boom for the area. You do not need to block off streets. We do not close anything down.”
Bicyclists do not necessarily travel in groups, as motorcycle clubs do, but tend to move in clusters over about a five hour period, he said, adding, “This is much different from a motorcycle event.”
Fortney said the cyclists will come through Fires Creek Road onto Tusquittee, take a rest stop in Hayesville and move out Business Highway 64, then Old 64 into Warne.
He said he has emailed the Clay County Sheriff’s office and emergency services about the event. If the cyclists want to take a rest on the grass on the courthouse square he will need to contact the Beal Center, the council informed him.
The council discussed the possibility of switching Town Hall’s telephone service from Frontier to Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation. Town Clerk Suzanne Hedden compared figures from both companies. The council was undecided about what might be needed in addition to basic telephone service.
Councilman Harry Baughn made the motion to table action on the matter pending further information.
Wallace presented the council with photographs of newly completed walking trails and bridge from Cherokee Village up to the Old Jail Museum.
Sandy Zimmerman told the council Historic Hayesville, Inc. and the Clay County Master Gardeners have joined in a partnership to beautify the area around Town Hall and the Hayesville Square. Plants will be in place soon around Town Hall, she said.
Following the councils’ regular meeting the members went into closed session. Slaten said, “No action was take.”