Written by John Boyle, Asheville Watchdog.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently issued an uncharacteristically vehement statement defending itself after retail giant Costco withdrew its application for a new store in Enka, in part because of the agency’s demands for extensive road improvements.
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said that NCDOT apparently had imposed requirements on Costco to make “fairly significant” improvements to Smokey Park Highway that likely contributed to the corporation’s decision to withdraw…