On a steep Hendersonville hillside, neighbors in the 38-lot Nubbins Nob subdivision say they did everything by the book: they pooled FEMA Helene assistance through their homeowners association, signed the paperwork and watched the HOA board hire a contractor to repair their only road in and out. Months later, they say the board has gone quiet and the private mountain roadway still looks one bad storm away from real trouble.
Residents say the road continues to show washouts, eroded embankments and failing culverts, with some crews so far only spreading gravel and lining ditches. Homeowners worry that if heavy rain hits again, emergency responders could be delayed or blocked entirely and families might be forced to park far from their homes just to get in and out safely.
According to The Charlotte Observer, homeowners were first asked to sign a joint authorization so FEMA grants could be pooled through the HOA. The association then entered a roughly $406,215 construction agreement with New Living Landscapes to repair about two miles of the private road. The contract called for grading, drainage improvements, culvert work and retaining walls, and neighbors say some work did begin this spring. Multiple homeowners report that after repeatedly asking for meeting minutes, engineering plans and permits, they were told instead to check an online management portal.
Neighbors say the board stopped responding
Philip Pavarini, who has twice volunteered on the HOA board, told the paper that he and neighbors personally cleared more than 100 downed trees after Helene and that a culvert he had flagged as a concern washed out completely. “The only thing we want is a safe road,” Pavarini said, noting that his wife relies on the route for a daily commute to Mission Hospital in Asheville…