About Shannon Nicholson

Friends of East Flat Rock co-founder and organizer, mountain biker, beekeeper, and chicken keeper who once rode a motorcycle from East Flat Rock to South America.

Huge Victory: SE Asphalt Withdraws Rezoning Application

In a surprise move earlier today and just days before the Special Called Meeting on Thursday, October 1, Jeff Shipman of SE Asphalt withdrew his application to rezone a 6.5 acre portion of land located on the northeast corner of Highway 176 and US Highway 25 (Exit 7 on Highway 25) to a conditional district to construct a new asphalt drum plant. Without you, the future of East Flat Rock and Henderson County could look much different. We want to personally thank MountainTrue for being our fundraising partner and thank all the members of Friends of East Flat Rock who signed the petition, displayed signs in front of their homes [...]

By |2020-09-28T14:56:47-04:00September 28th, 2020|

Foot on the gas! We’re not there quite yet.

Thursday night was a BIG win for us when our Henderson County Planning Board members recommended to deny Jeff Shipman’s application for conditional zoning after a 5-2 vote – but don’t celebrate too soon. While the planning board’s recommendation will help influence the final decision, the Board of Commissioners can still approve the Conditional District rezoning application when it comes up for vote at a later date (TBD) if they choose. For those following the county’s process, here are the results of the planning board vote: Recommended to Deny: Rick Livingston Bruce Hatfield Jim Miller, Jr. Jennifer Balkcom Steve Dozier Recommended to Approve: Blake Baird Hunter [...]

By |2020-08-21T18:25:47-04:00August 21st, 2020|

Imagine hundreds of cars revving in a parking lot

In a strange twist this week, SE Asphalt published an air quality comparison showing the impact of its proposed hot mix asphalt (HMA) plant within the 4.3 square mile community of East Flat Rock. Attempting to compare their projected emissions to the all of the cars, trucks, and SUVs already owned by residents and driven in our community, they neglected to mention one small detail: those toxic emissions will be in addition to those produced by vehicles. In the process of making that comparison, they admit the proposed plant will emit: 3.9% of the Hydrocarbons (a polite way to say “toxic air pollutants”), 1.1% of the Carbon Monoxide, [...]

By |2020-08-19T14:57:12-04:00August 20th, 2020|

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

One of the few “arguments” we’ve continually heard from those who are in favor of a building a hot mix asphalt plant in East Flat Rock is that it will bring in new jobs and, therefore, stimulate economic growth in the county. But just how many new jobs will the proposed plant create? At first, it was 6-7 new full-time jobs. If you listen to Warren Sugg of Civil Design Concepts in Asheville, NC, during the Neighborhood Compatibility Meeting on June 8, SE Asphalt’s proposed plant will create 6-7 new full-time jobs. That’s with expected hours of operation “Monday through Saturday, approximately 6:00 am to 7:00 pm, no Sunday work, [...]

By |2020-08-17T17:56:43-04:00August 17th, 2020|

Empty chairs. No one cares?

By now, Jeff Shipman, his mother Verna Shipman, or someone else with self-serving motives has probably contacted the Planning Board members to let them know only two people attended their "public meeting" on August 4 and that, even though many of us sign petitions and write letters opposing the plant, we're not sufficiently motivated to attend a meeting. We are motivated. We do care. The truth is, the US is in the midst of a pandemic and some people are uneasy – perhaps even terrified – to gather in large groups in confined spaces. Is it tone deaf of SE Asphalt to hold public in-person meetings during this time of [...]

By |2020-08-11T15:20:44-04:00August 11th, 2020|

Let’s pack the house on August 20!

Unless you're socially distancing on a deserted island or a uninhabited mountain top (don't I wish), you probably know by now that Jeff Shipman's conditional re-zoning application to construct a new hot mix asphalt drum plant is the sole agenda item at Henderson County’s Planning Board Meeting on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 5:30 pm. The Planning Department says there are currently no plans to offer an option to connect by phone or Zoom, so public comments will have to be made IN PERSON at the Blue Ridge Conference Hall on the Blue Ridge Community College campus (Technology Education and Development Center building, 49 East Campus Drive, Flat Rock, NC [...]

By |2020-08-04T21:53:11-04:00August 4th, 2020|