Over 200 community members gathered inside the Owen Middle School gymnasium on March 30 to share their ideas on the plans for Charles D. Owen Park in Swannanoa, which has remained closed since Tropical Storm Helene devastated the area nearly 19 months ago.
Previously, the park offered two fishing lakes, running paths, riverside trails, a shady jungle gym and other amenities. Due to the extensive damage, several organizations have collaborated to survey the site and assess the new ecological conditions. The county and its partners have now entered the next phase: seeking community input.
At the March 30 event, community members met and spoke with representatives from the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance, RiverLink, Buncombe County Parks & Recreation and the landscape architecture firm Hoerr Schaudt…