Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
City of Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, as a demonstration project for the entire French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
watershed by connecting a 17 miles (27.4 km) Greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
System along the French Broad and Swannanoa River
Swannanoa River
The Swannanoa River flows through the Swannanoa Valley of western North Carolina, and is a major tributary to the French Broad River. It begins at its headwaters in Black Mountain, NC, however, it also has a major tributary near its headwaters: Flat Creek, which begins on the slopes of Mount...
s. It was built and expanded on a former Plan created by RiverLink in 1989, called the Asheville Riverfront Plan, which won the American Planning Association
American Planning Association
The American Planning Association is a professional organization representing the field of city and regional planning in the United States. The APA was formed in 1978 when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Planners and the American Society of Planning...
Award and represents the consolidation of over 20 years of community efforts and visioning. Since its inception in 1987, RiverLink, a region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
al non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, has spearheaded The RiverWay by gaining public support and partnering with local, state, regional and federal agencies, the public at large, private foundations, Buncombe County
Buncombe County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 206,330 people, 85,776 households, and 55,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 314 people per square mile . There were 93,973 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile...
, and the City of Asheville for the plan's implementation.
Aside from providing environmental benefits, and recreational and wellness opportunities, the Wilma Dykeman
Wilma Dykeman
Wilma Dykeman Stokely was an American writer of fiction and nonfiction whose works chronicled the people and land of Appalachia.-Biography:...
RiverWay Plan is expected to revitalize the riverfront by encouraging economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
and job creation. Proponents of the plan say that with a cost benefit analysis, the essence of The Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan speaks for itself in terms of return on investment, tax base enhancement, bond rating improvement, job creation, mixed-use trails and sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. Furthermore, the connectivity of The RiverWay would encourage multi-modal transportation opportunities like bicycling, and enhance access to the city's riverfront
Riverfront
A riverfront is a region along a river; often in larger cities that border a river, the riverfront will be lined with marinas, docks, parks, trees, or minor attractions. Today many riverfronts are a staple of modernism and city beautification....
s.
However, the full implementation of The RiverWay is a daunting and expensive task due its breadth of complexities, and requirement of resources. Nevertheless, RiverLink has continued to further the plan by attaining riverfront parcels through conservation easement donations and property sales. In addition, state and federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
s have played a role in funding the Dykeman Plan, primarily through grants from the Department of Transportation
Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation is the most common name for a government agency in North America devoted to transportation. The largest is the United States Department of Transportation, which oversees interstate travel. All U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and many local agencies also have...
.
As of now, by championing thousands of supporters and working with local government, RiverLink has contributed several popular park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s and greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
extensions to The Wilma Dykeman Riverway Plan. The most notable of these achievements include the old Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
Asheville-Weaverville Speedway
The Asheville-Weaverville Speedway near Weaverville, North Carolina, USA was considered to be site for the old-school NASCAR races in both the Grand National and the Winston Cup eras . None of the active drivers that are in the Sprint Cup Series today have ever raced at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway...
– the most-used park in the region now known as Carrier Park – and the French Broad River Park & Greenway System. Asheville's greenway system currently boasts 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of contiguous trail.
History: Development along the French Broad River
Starting in the early-to-mid-19th century, the riverfront's even ground and untainted open-space made it a popular trade route. Soon farmers, homesteads, inns, and local small stores were drawn to take advantage of the economic opportunity. In the late 19th century the Western North Carolina RailroadWestern North Carolina Railroad
The Western North Carolina Railroad was a 19th century railroad that ran from Salisbury to Murphy, North Carolina.Future American Civil War officer Samuel McDowell Tate was instrumental in planning and sponsoring the construction of the first leg of the railroad in 1855, then in managing it in the...
expanded along the French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
and the banks land value accumulated. The rivers natural attributes drew crowds and Asheville grew to be a small and economically adorned city.
By the very early 20th century Asheville's extent of the French Broad Riverfront had matured as the destination point for travelers and was a pivotal recreational and leisure space for residents. The Asheville Electric Company created a small diversion off of the French Broad and named it Riverside Park. The park erected a carousel, a boat house and an outdoor movie screen that could only be viewed from a boat in the river. At the time, this type of entertainment was not only unique but it left an impression. Unfortunately, in 1915 a fire destroyed much of Riverside Park and just the following year came the flood.
In 1916 massive flooding not only destroyed whatever remained of Riverview Park but it swept away the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
community. The many local industry and business owners – who for years had thrived along the French Broad River - abandoned their buildings and relocated to higher ground. Soon after the flood, Asheville's traffic system experienced rapid growth and new highways and roads cut off access points to the river. Over time, the French Broad was transformed into a dumping ground for unregulated pollution and the river was forgotten.
For over the next half a century the French Broad River was abandoned and neglected. It was not until the 1970s when the federal government began to give attention to the deteriorating state of our nation's river-systems and passed the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
. Under this new policy environmental regulation standards were raised and public interests were heightened. Citizen groups began to look at the river and the Land-of-Sky Regional Council
Land-of-Sky Regional Council
The Land-of-Sky Regional Council is one of the 17 regional North Carolina Councils of Governments established by the North Carolina General Assembly for the purpose of regional planning and administration. Headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, it serves Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, and...
(LOS) assembled a group of conservation advocates, called the French Broad River Foundation (FBRF), to help create a series of access parks along the 117 miles of the French Broad River.
In the 1980s, as efforts to clean up the river intensified with citizen advocacy groups like the FBRF, policy makers came to finally see what critical importance the French Broad River was to the region. For one, local economists began to recognize the riverfront's massive recreational and economic development potential. Also however, through a series of management studies and evaluations by the LOS and local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
agencies, it was determined that in order for the region to grow, the French Broad would have to be Buncombe County's primary water source.
By advocating to regional policy analysts, politicians, and local agencies, conservation groups and economists had now set the agenda to develop and redevelop the French Broad's riverfront. In 1987 the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
(TVA) and the Land of Sky managed to attain funding through a civil works planning grant. It was at this time that RiverLink, then a loosely knit group of volunteers and conservation advocates known as the French Broad Riverfront Planning Commission, were asked to team up with the French Broad River Foundation and Asheville's Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
to create the Asheville Riverfront Plan.
The RiverFront Plan
If the French Broad RiverFrench Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
was to be successfully revitalized, the final plan had to legitimately represent and incorporate the wants and needs of the entire community. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of the natural complexities that Asheville’s riverfront presented, RiverLink recruited members of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(AIA) & American Society of Landscape Architects
American Society of Landscape Architects
The American Society of Landscape Architects is the national professional association representing landscape architects, with more than 17,000 members in 48 chapters, representing all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 42 countries around the world, plus 68 student chapters...
(ASLA) to form a charette team. Peter Batchelor, the Chairman of the NC AIA, then divided the joint charette into three primary groups: The first team focused on how to effectively reestablish a connection between downtown Asheville and the riverfront. Another team concentrated on how far the river could extend within city limits. The third group analyzed the rivers prominent attributes in Asheville and Western North Carolina.
In 1989, after extensive planning and public discussion, the charette team completed The Asheville Riverfront Plan. The design included a detailed layout of the riverfront, complete with diagrams of the urban corridor, maps of future greenway space, and descriptions of the charette’s findings and suggestions. More importantly however, the plan’s mixed use for revitalizing the French Broad River satisfied the needs of all the community – environmental, recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
constituents.
After the design was presented to the public it received nationwide recognition for its ingenuity and thoughtful craftsmanship. National Geographic featured the plan as a new greenway initiative for WNC in its June 1990 issue. Also, the Riverfront Plan received The American Planning Association
American Planning Association
The American Planning Association is a professional organization representing the field of city and regional planning in the United States. The APA was formed in 1978 when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Planners and the American Society of Planning...
’s Large Scale Planning Award, a highly sought and prestigious honor that is given to only the best designs in the nation.
Local governments soon adopted The Asheville Riverfront Plan to depict a unified vision for a revitalized riverfront. Buncombe County welcomed it as their new Master Plan for the river way and The City of Asheville encompassed the plan as an addendum to its award winning 2010 Comprehensive Plan. However, the implementation process could begin a design framework was needed for the entire revitalization of the riverfront.
During September in 1991, with influential support from local government authorities and the public, RiverLink received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
to develop what is now known as The Asheville Riverfront Open Space Design Guidelines. Once again RiverLink helped to assemble a charette team with ALSA/AIA, and groups were divided. This time issues such as signage, river access, public art, support facilities, structures, and landscaping were addressed. Through public forums it was agreed, by both the public and private constituents, that all open space
Open space
Open space may refer to:In urban planning and conservation ethics* Landscape, areas of land without human-built structures*Open space reserve, areas of protected or conserved land on which development is indefinitely set aside...
development should accentuate the unique geographical aspects of Asheville and Western North Carolina. When completed, as like The Riverfront Plan, The Open Space Guidelines were well received by the public. Local governments immediately adopted the guidelines and the policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
was approved by The Asheville Council. They are now part of The City of Asheville’s river zoning district and since the inception of Asheville’s river parks and greenways, the Design Guidelines have served as a blueprint
Blueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
for their development.
The Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan
Throughout the 1990s RiverLink strived to progressively bring the pieces of The Riverfront Plan together. Rousing mass amounts of donations with public support, the environmental organization acquired several large contaminated parcels along the French Broad RiverFrench Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
in West Asheville. Using both the power of their volunteers and their partnership with the City of Asheville, RiverLink was then able to convert the land into active-use parks and greenways.
Despite these accomplishments however, much of the original design remained unrealized. Not only was there a lack of funding to continue implementation but The Riverfront Plan had become outdated. Since the fifteen year old plan was first introduced, the zoning, demographics, and developments of Asheville’s riverfront had vastly changed. In order to reflect these new developments, diverging land use patterns, and new community needs and desires along the river, it would be necessary to modify the design.
By 2004, RiverLink had risen over $250,000 and was able to update The Riverfront Plan appropriately so that it accurately depicted the riverfront’s current conditions and demands. Among those who financially contributed to its creation were: North Carolina Department of Transportation
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:...
(DOT), The City of Asheville, Buncombe County, The Asheville Merchants Association, Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
(TVA), and Progress Energy. The new plan built and expanded on The Riverfront Plan. It is a 17-mile greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
that will extend along the French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
from Broadway Avenue through the central riverfront, along the WECAN neighborhood, through the recreational areas to the Amboy Road Exit on I-240. The plan will also follow the Swannanoa
Swannanoa
Swannanoa may refer to:in New Zealand*Swannanoa, New Zealand, in North Canterbury, New Zealandin the United States*Lake Swannanoa, New Jersey*Swannanoa, North Carolina*Swannanoa River, North Carolina*Swannanoa , Virginia, listed on the NRHP...
from its confluence with the French Broad, through the Biltmore Village
Biltmore Village
Biltmore Village, formerly Best, is a small village that is now entirely in the city limits of Asheville, North Carolina. It is adjacent to the main entrance of the Biltmore Estate, built by George W. Vanderbilt, one of the heirs to the Vanderbilt family fortune. Once known as the town of Best,...
and up river to Tunnel Road and Azalea Park where it will end.
To put it in more concise terms, the updated plan “linked the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers into a continuous pathway with separate walking and biking trails anchored on the south at the North Carolina Arboretum
North Carolina Arboretum
The North Carolina Arboretum is an arboretum and botanical garden located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest at 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, southwest of Asheville, North Carolina near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is open daily except for Christmas Day...
, on the east by the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
, and on the north by the University of North Carolina Asheville (UNCA)”.
However, it is evident that the amended plan inhibits the intent of much bigger developments and ideas than just greenways. Similar to the original Riverfront Plan, although in significantly richer detail, the new design was centralized around three diverse focuses: First, with a road alignment study, it addressed specific development zones within the seventeen miles. Secondly, detailed site-plans and transportation engineered illustrations were created to help guide the plans implementation. Lastly, a market study was included, which analyzed how the revitalization of the river could further reinforce traditional industries including, health/wellness, recreation, arts, crafts, and entrepreneurship.
RiverLink had long emphasized how many of their initiatives to revitalize the French Broad River had been previously championed by others since the mid 1900’s. One of the earliest advocates was a young author and educator named Wilma Dykeman
Wilma Dykeman
Wilma Dykeman Stokely was an American writer of fiction and nonfiction whose works chronicled the people and land of Appalachia.-Biography:...
, whom in a book titled “The French Broad”, detailed the linkage between economic development and economic protection. Once the updated plan was refined and Asheville City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
adopted it, RiverLink aptly re-branded the new design as The Wilma Dykeman Riverway Plan.
Parks and greenways
There are several parks and greenways incorporated within The Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan. Amongst these are:French Broad River Park & Greenway System
The initial breakthrough to gain riverside property occurred in 1991, when the non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, RiverLink, was offered a two mile-long donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
from the Carolina Power & Light
Carolina Power & Light
Carolina Power & Light was an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution utility based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company was founded on July 13, 1908 as the result of the merger and buyout of numerous small, private, and financial distressed utilities across the state...
Company. This property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
is now known as the first link in the urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
riverfront
Riverfront
A riverfront is a region along a river; often in larger cities that border a river, the riverfront will be lined with marinas, docks, parks, trees, or minor attractions. Today many riverfronts are a staple of modernism and city beautification....
greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
. For years the west bank riverfront property had been used as an “unofficial” land fill for construction companies and concrete manufactures. However, beyond the poison ivy infested and trash littered terrain RiverLink saw potential and convinced the city to receive the donation.
It is at this time that the organization created a concept called, “The Mayor’s Greenway Award” and presented it to CP&L during a reception at city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
. This award was a symbol of goodwill and community enrichment and has since become used as an incentive to encourage other citizens and corporations to donate land for public access along The Wilma Dykeman Riverway’s identified greenway routes.
Once the donation of land from CP&L was accepted, RiverLink and The City of Asheville entered into a public-private partnership to develop it. In accordance to The RiverWay Plan, the implementation of the two-mile riverfront stretch in West Asheville was divided into three phases. It would be eventually named the French Broad River Park & Greenway System.
French Broad River Park
During phase one of the French Broad River Greenway System, with the City's help, RiverLink received a grantGrant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
from The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was formed by R.J. Reynolds' daughter, Mary Reynolds Babcock, and her siblings to honor their brother, Zachary Smith Reynolds, who was murdered at the age of 20 at the Reynolds family home, Reynolda House. The foundation to this day gives away millions of dollars...
to hire a landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
firm to develop the master plan and construction drawings. A principal goal of the plan was to infuse characteristics of the old Riverside Park into The French Broad River Park. Once the design was complete, RiverLink’s staff & volunteers worked with The City of Asheville’s Parks & Recreation Department to develop the park. Also, RiverLink raised the funds needed to install picnic tables, benches, bike racks, bollards and other amenities that make the greenways at French Broad River Park PHASE I, II and III user friendly and comfortable.
On September 21, 1994 the first part of the project was completed and the French Broad River Park became the first greenway (or watershed) built within the City of Asheville.
French Broad River Park Greenway Extension
Soon after the initial parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
was completed, phase two began. This phase added another loop of greenway trails as well as a dog park
Dog park
A dog park is a facility set aside for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners...
and wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
to the park. Again relying heavily on community involvement and with a corresponding relationship with the City’s Parks & Recreation Department, this phase was completed only a year after the first - In September 1995. For the first two years RiverLink was vital in operating The French Broad River Park however it is now maintained regularly by The City of Asheville Parks and Recreation Department.
It was not until four years later, in 1999, that RiverLink received funding from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to implement the final phase of The French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
Greenway. Phase three extended the greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
even further along the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
next to Amboy Road. Moreover, in addition to the extension
Extension
Extension may refer to:* A cheerleading stunt* The building of community capacity by outsiders, for instance agricultural extension* Extension , relating to the pulling apart of the Earth's crust and lithosphere...
, the funding of this phase included a handicapped accessible fishing pier that was installed overlooking the river.
Carrier Park
The second major breakthrough for The Wilma Dykeman Riverway Plan occurred during in 1999, when RiverLink managed to obtain the former Asheville-Weaverville SpeedwayAsheville-Weaverville Speedway
The Asheville-Weaverville Speedway near Weaverville, North Carolina, USA was considered to be site for the old-school NASCAR races in both the Grand National and the Winston Cup eras . None of the active drivers that are in the Sprint Cup Series today have ever raced at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway...
on Amboy Road (which is still in development as of April 2011). After raising $1.6 million dollars to purchase and develop the old speedway, RiverLink donated it, with a conservation easement
Conservation easement
In the United States, a conservation easement is an encumbrance — sometimes including a transfer of usage rights — which creates a legally enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a qualified land...
, to the City of Asheville. As like before, during the development of The French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
Park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
& Greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
, RiverLink and the city worked closely together to implement the park. Foremost, city employees with expertise in park development resurfaced the racetrack, which now invites Asheville cyclist and non-motor races.
Furthermore, with a combined effort from citizens and city employees an outdoors education wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
/stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
Education Center was constructed, along with: basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts, bocce ball/bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
alleys, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
courts, an in-line skating ring, and a combination of baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
& soccer field
Field
-Places:* Field, British Columbia, Canada* Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States* Field, Ontario, Canada* Field Island, Nunavut, Canada* Mount Field - Expanses of open ground :* Field...
s. Also, by rallying 1000 volunteers in five days, RiverLink built a playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
to add to the park. When it was all complete the 50-acre old speedway was rechristened as Carrier Park and joined the French Broad River Park System.