Riding on the Craggy Mountain Rail Line. Photo by Colby Rabon, Citizen-Times
Woodfin has plans to make park on land
written by Julie Ball Oct. 14, 2013, www.citizen-times.com
WOODFIN — A group that included local leaders took a ride along the old Craggy Mountain rail line Monday afternoon to hear more about development along the French Broad River.
“We want to bring that river access into the heart of the community all the way into the downtown area,” said Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young.
The town’s plans along the river include a new park on just less than 5 acres of land donated by Silver-Line Plastics.
Young discussed the town’s plans with members of the Asheville Area Riverfront Redevelopment Commission, which encourages economic redevelopment of the riverfront. The group took a ride along the old train line Monday afternoon in a trolley car pulled by a train maintenance car.
Rocky Hollifield with the Craggy Mountain Line has restored a 3 1/2-mile portion of the railroad track and earlier this year began taking passengers along the stretch that runs from North Woodfin Avenue to Riverside Drive. A portion of the track goes along the French Broad River.
Eventually, Hollifield plans to create a depot off North Woodfin using rail cars that will feature a restaurant, museum and gift shop. He also plans to eventually begin running a train along the stretch of track.
The section of railroad ends near the site of the park Woodfin is planning.
“It (the property) could be a beautiful site. The river is really pretty here,” said Ricky Silver with Silver-Line Plastics. Silver said the site is also fairly close to Woodfin Town Hall and the nearby elementary school.
The park property had been the site of the old Woodfin Trailer Park, which was hit by flooding in 2004.
Young said at one time, developers were planning to build elevated, “beach-style” homes on the property.
However, the economic downturn hurt those plans. Silver-Line Plastics acquired the property and in 2011 donated it to the town.
“This new river park is probably the highest park priority the town has,” Young said.
On Oct. 28, the town working with RiverLink will hold a meeting to give the public a chance to weigh in on what they’d like to see at the park.
“What we really want to hear first is what the public wants,” Young said.
Jackie Bryson, a member of the Woodfin town board, said the property “has a lot of potential.”
Pattiy Torno, who serves as chair of the Asheville Area Riverfront Redevelopment Commission, also sees a lot of potential in Woodfin.
“The town of Woodfin, again it’s even smaller than Asheville, they have managed to make some really first-class riverfront parks happen in ways that a much larger city might not have,” she said. “My biggest goal right now is how do we tie that all together? How do we tie what’s going on in Woodfin with what’s going on in Asheville for the benefit of both.”
Woodfin has seven miles of the French Broad running through the town, according to Young, and the river is home to a range of uses, including industrial.
The trip along the Craggy Mountain Line also highlighted some of those uses.
