City receives grant to connect Ecusta Trail, Oklawaha Greenway, plus stormwater grants

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News
·4 min read
A woman walks along the Oklawaha Greenway earlier this month.
A woman walks along the Oklawaha Greenway earlier this month.

HENDERSONVILE - In a March 16 news release, it was announced that the City of Hendersonville was awarded a grant of $77,250 by the NC Department of Transportation to provide funding to study the feasibility of a multi-modal path to connect the Ecusta Trail and Oklawaha Greenway.

In addition, the city was also awarded nearly $3.5 million ($3,418,165) in grants by the Division of Water Infrastructure and NC Land and Water Fund that will help reduce flood risk and restore floodplains in Hendersonville’s southside and continue the development of the city’s Comprehensive Stormwater Master Plan, the release said.

Hendersonville City Manager John Connet said City Engineer Brent Detwiler was to be commended for his work in helping Hendersonville receive the grant for the study about connecting the Ecusta Trail and the Oklawaha Greenway.

“By working with the French Broad River MPO, Land of Sky Regional Council and community stakeholders, we obtained a grant to study the feasibility of connecting the Oklawaha Greenway with the Ecusta Trail. City Engineer Brent Detwiler has championed this grant application and the funding that will allow us to take the next step in planning this important connection," Connet said in the release.

The grant, named "Above the Mud" Greenway Extension Feasibility Study, will examine the feasibility of a new multi-modal path that connects the two longest multi-use paths in Henderson County - the Oklawaha Greenway and the Ecusta Trail. It will evaluate the proposed connection and include alternative alignments for the project to find the best possible way to complete the regional network and meet the intent of the State Great Trails Plan.

At the core of the project is the goal to complete a "robust and reliable multimodal network connecting communities along several trail, greenway, and sidewalk projects," the release said.

Connet also said the city was excited to receive the stormwater grants, since there are several areas in the city that are prone to flooding.

“We are thrilled with the projects being tackled by our Stormwater Division and the grants obtained to fund them,” Connet said in the release. “Mike Huffman has developed goals to improve our community, and he and other staff sought out the grant opportunities to make them a reality. These projects would not be within reach without his leadership and dedication.”

The Stormwater Division is part of the City’s Engineering Department and consists of Stormwater Division Manager Huffman and Stormwater Technician Dustin Moffitt.Hendersonville’s Stormwater Management Program works to ensure stormwater is effectively controlled to reduce pollution generated from stormwater runoff. According to the city, to support the stormwater program goals, stormwater staff frequently pursue grants to implement projects that would otherwise not be possible with funding generated by stormwater utility fees.

In 2023, the following stormwater grants have been awarded the following:

  • Mud Creek Flood Risk Reduction - North Carolina Land and Water Fund - $1,120,929: This project proposes land acquisition and the optimization of flood routing on the southern side of Hendersonville’s downtown. The project will take advantage of available storage at multiple flood stages, with a particular focus on high-frequency flood events on Mud Creek and its tributaries.

  • Mud Creek Floodplain Restoration - North Carolina Division of Water Infrastructure Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments (LASII) Construction Grant- $1,897,236: The proposed project will complete final design, permitting and construction activities for 2,359 linear feet of first-order stream restoration, 1,556 linear feet of streambank restoration along Mud Creek, 8.5 acres of wetland restoration, and an additional 9.2 acres of riparian floodplain restoration to provide ecological enhancement and stormwater treatment.

  • Stormwater Master Plan – North Carolina Division of Water Infrastructure Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments (LASII) Planning Grant - $400,000: The Comprehensive Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) will provide the City of Hendersonville with a five-year Stormwater Capital Improvement Plan to implement high-priority stormwater projects in a systematic and cost-effective manner. In addition, the SWMP will be complemented by the development of a Strategic Asset Management Plan that will assist in structuring operations and maintenance around key performance indicators.

For more information visit www.hvlnc.gov.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: City receives grant to connect Ecusta Trail, Oklawaha Greenway, plus stormwater grants