From Chris Walters, a concerned Henderson County Voter:

The county is constructing a 15.7 million dollar high school at Blue Ridge Community College to house students of the Early College and former Balfour School. But, the new school with capacity for 500 students was designed with only half a gym. “Half a gym” were the words the architect used when I asked him about it.

 

On the same BRCC campus almost directly behind the new school, the county wants to construct a 20 million dollar rifle range with 12 100 yard shooting lanes and 12 lanes 50 yards deep for sniper and rifle practice. The building would be 49,000 sq.ft., enclosing more than an acre, large enough to accommodate vehicles to simulate military-type combat conditions with possible terrorists and possible anti-police shootings, according to the sheriff.

Year after year tired working parents spend hundreds of hours raising money for books, uniforms, and sports equipment. And schools have long-standing maintenance needs. But, the sheriff’s 20 million dollar request was approved in one commission meeting with few questions and little debate.

The scope and purpose of the project is breathtaking, but hardly anyone knows about it. This should not have gotten this far without public review and comment. The county should offer more information and more time for public consideration.

 

Here are some ideas anyone can use when contacting  county commissioners:

Call or email your Henderson County Commissioners at
(828)697-4808 - Fax (828)692-9855
1 Historic Courthouse Square, Suite 1
Hendersonville, North Carolina 28792

J. Michael (Mike) Edney
jmedney@hendersoncountync.org

Thomas (Tommy) H. Thompson
tthompson@hendersoncountync.org

Charles (Charlie) Messer
cmesser@hendersoncountync.org

William G. (Bill) Lapsley
wlapsley@hendersoncountync.org

Grady Hawkins
ghawkins@hendersoncountync.org