Murphy – Although the board of commissioners on Monday suspended a committee following a conflict between its chairman and secretary, the committee, appointed in 2023 to identify Cherokee County’s needs and potential solutions, presented its findings to commissioners in February following a year’s worth of hearings and meetings.
The board of commissioners plans to discuss the report at an upcoming strategic meeting. It plans to discuss the future of the committee after the board has completed the annual budget.
The Needs & Solutions Advisory Committee – better known by the acronym NASA – identified internet, roads, water and sewer, education and health care as areas of need, but one and only one need was identified as “high priority” – housing.
“Cherokee County is sorely lacking housing for working families for several reasons, since the COVID outbreak an influx of non-workforce aged people has squeezed the housing market making homes scarce and unaffordable for most working families,” the committee said in a report submitted in February, one year after it was created.
“The kind and price of homes has also been affected by market demand for retirement type homes versus simple affordable family homes for working families with children in school. A healthy workforce requires 42 percent workforce participation from the population, and Cherokee County stands at 34-36 percent,” according to the report.
Other areas of need include:
- Internet: Much of the county lacks both high-speed broadband internet and cellular service, resulting in digital dead zones that affect a range of areas including quality of life, emergency response and education. The most underserved communities were identified as Wolf Creek, Unaka, Topton, Hiwassee Dam and Bellview.
This is a work-in-progress, with Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp. being awarded a $5.25 million grant and the state engaged in a $2 billion project to “close the digital divide.” Blue Ridge EMC will build fiber access in Martins Creek, Hanging Dog, Hiwassee Dam and Unaka, leaving behind an area from Marble to Topton.
“While this is a great start, Cherokee County is behind in deploying technologies or exploring alternatives,” the report says.
- Roads: Four-lane highways are vital for Cherokee County’s economic vitality, but the county can’t control what happens on the other side of its borders with Tennessee and Georgia. While U.S. 64 West is a four-lane highway in both Cherokee County and where it meets Tennessee, Blairsville Highway and N.C. 60 are greeted in Georgia by two-lane rural roads.
“Highway 60 south has been four lanes on the N.C. side for over 15 years, but Georgia never connected their side to it, basically leaving it unused for a business attracter,” the report says. “Cherokee County is the crossroads of three states as such to create a better opportunity for its citizens, a crossroads corridor could be negotiated with Tennessee and Georgia to create 3-4 lane roads that connect Cherokee County in all directions.”
The report also says N.C. 294 is especially critical, as it serves Hiwassee Dam schools as well as being the only road leading to an interstate highway north of Cherokee County.
- Water and sewer: The Town of Murphy will have to expand its wastewater treatment capacity in the next five years. A major expansion of service lines is needed to promote investment in the county, both for business and housing.
- Education: The NASA committee has been unsuccessful in obtaining participation by Cherokee County Schools, as the report submits a list of questions that have so far gone unanswered.
“It is our belief that without solid and mutually agreeable answers to these questions, the problems CCS faces will proliferate and grow,” the committee says. “We currently run that risk, with several long-term plans (consolidation of facilities, moving students or otherwise) being debated amongst CCS board members and no change in public input or partnership with the [county] commissioners.”
- Health care: A 2023 N.C. County Health Outcome Rankings lists Cherokee County as 77th out of the state’s 100 counties, identifying it as among the states’ least healthy counties. NASA recommends the formulation of a Health/Safety Policy Council that can help identify and promote better healthcare facilities, public health representation, emergency services, emergency management, behavioral health and other services.
The report was presented to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners at its February meeting. The commissioners are expected to review the report and address its recommendations at a future workshop.
The committee held meetings in Murphy, Andrews, Hiwassee Dam, Texana, Bellview, Unaka, Ranger, Culberson and Peachtree. It plans to hold meetings in Wolf Creek/Hot House and Martins Creek.
While there has been turnover since the committee was first formed, members when the report was submitted in February included committee Chair Kephart, secretary Ackiss and members Phil St. John, Chasity Ledford, Sue Lynn Ledford, David Lance and Ben Wilson.