Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:

Question: Employees were told this week that the Asheville VA will close by the end of year. This is considered one of the best VA’s in the country. It is thought this is another scare tactic. What is your scoop? Thanks!

My answer: From here on out I think we can expect solid rumors on every single federal agency in our area possibly shutting down. President Musk, ahem, Trump, is on the prowl, you know.

Real answer: The rumor mill is indeed running overtime.

“These allegations are unfounded,” Charles George VA Medical Center spokesperson Kathie Ramos said via email. “There has been no official communication disclosing the closure of our VA facility. The Western North Carolina VA Health Care System will continue to provide excellent care to all patients.”

Ramos said the VA’s executive leadership team did conduct an employee town hall meeting last week “to discuss the recent federal policy changes and address questions employees may have.”

“The Western North Carolina Veterans Affairs Healthcare System is considered one of the best VA medical centers in the country, thanks to the dedication and commitment of every member of our organization,” Ramos said.

Question: What is going on with the work on a lot at the Hendersonville Road entrance to the Southchase neighborhood in Fletcher? A lot of grading work and fill dirt coming in and being spread out. What’s it going to be? And did the property owner have to do any kind of study on what impact all that fill dirt might have on future flooding?

My answer: I’m thinking of changing my Answer Man slogan from, “Answering your burning questions since 1999,” to, “Answering your dirt-moving questions since the dawn of time.”

Real answer: This topic has come up several times over the past few weeks, as the grading is on a highly traveled section of U.S. 25 through “downtown” Fletcher.

For the time being, it’s just grading.

“There is no proposed development of this site at this time,” Teresa Ralya, a planning technician with the Town of Fletcher, told me via email. “A couple of years ago permits were approved for Dodge’s Convenience store; however, they did not move forward with development. It is my understanding that they have cleared the property of old structures and are preparing/grading the land to advertise it for sale.”

On the flooding front, Ralya said, “There is no study required, as the property is not in an area of special flood hazard.

“Once sold, a new owner will have to present a development plan and structural designs for review/approval by the Town’s Planning Board, because the parcel is in the Heart of Fletcher overlay district,” Ralya continued. “Future development will also go through staff review. The Henderson County Engineering Department will review for stormwater and drainage design of the site when building permits are applied for.”

Question: In light of the recent announcement from HUD awarding $1.4 billion to North Carolina in 2025 — with $225 million specifically for the City of Asheville, what other western North Carolina cities and towns have funding designated for them? What are these amounts?

My answer: It may be wise to double check on this federal funding to make sure it’s still there and hasn’t been rerouted to video game purchases by some of Elon Musk’s teenaged Treasury trolls.

Real answer: Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents NC District 11, announced Jan. 6 that western North Carolina will receive $1.65 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to help communities rebuild after Helene. The lion’s share of the funds will be administered to most of western North Carolina through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Edwards noted in the news release.

Asheville will receive and administer $225 million in separate CDBG-DR funds.

Maria Kim, Edwards’ communication director, said Asheville received its own grant “as it already does business directly with HUD and has the infrastructure in place to administer that money.

“The rest of WNC will receive $1.43 billion, 80 percent of which, by law, must go to the most-distressed/most-impacted ZIP codes,” Kim said. “HUD gives those funds to the state of North Carolina to administer, and the state will disburse those funds to the affected counties after the counties come up with an approved spending plan.”

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.

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