Jackson and Macon poised to lose their cash cow in wake of second-home real estate crash

cover2When inflated real estate values in the second-home market came back down to earth, the touchdown wasn’t gentle. 

It was more of a crash-landing, and five years later two mountains counties are still sifting through the wreckage.

Jackson fire tax goes up in smoke

Jackson County commissioners have nixed the idea of making volunteer fire departments financially autonomous.

Steep slope redux: A pocket guide to proposed revisions in Jackson’s steep slope ordinance

coverLimits on mountainside development and standards for steep slope building are once again in the spotlight in Jackson County. 

The Jackson County planning board has spent the past 14 months rewriting steep slopes regulations first put in place seven years ago.

They were more restrictive than anywhere else in the mountains at the time. The watered-down version that has emerged from the rewrite is still far more protective than most mountain counties. 

The steep slope hearing scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13 has been moved to Thursday, Feb. 20.

Step up and be counted: Public could tip scales in steep slope rewrite

Who shows up and speaks out at a steep slope public hearing in Jackson County next week could alter what mountainside development looks like for decades to come.

Steep slopes on the rocks: Relaxed building rules try to strike a balance

coverDavid Brooks grew up dirt poor. His dad farmed corn, apples and tobacco, always with a plow and mule, never with a tractor. Brooks’ mom and five siblings were often left to tend to the 100-acre hillside farm in Jackson County when his dad journeyed in search of cash-paying jobs — taking him as far as Washington state during summers to work as a logger. 

“I guess it was poverty, but we didn’t know it at the time,” Brooks said. 

SEE ALSO: Public could tip scales in steep slope rewrite

Jackson TDA hires trio of marketing firms for trial period

fr jaxTDAAfter a split vote that followed nearly an hour of discussion, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority hired three different marketing companies for a five-month period ending when the new fiscal year begins in June. 

Jackson County has a new slogan; now what?

fr jaxttaJackson County tourism leaders are weighing the best way to get their message to the masses.

Laxer steep slope rules head for public hearing in Jackson

fr jaxplanningControls on mountainside development in Jackson County could be loosened following a year-long line-by-line rewrite of steep slope rules by the Jackson County planning board.

Course steady for Jackson Meals on Wheels

Jackson County’s new volunteer policy, enacted in November, is taking a bite out of the Meals on Wheels volunteer force. 

Landslide mapping continues, albeit on a smaller scale

fr landslideTo Jenifer Bauer, the conditions couldn’t be better for a hike. It’s cold and soggy. There’s no leaves left, nothing green at all on the forest floor save the rhododendrons and mountain laurels. Even the views are dreary and gray, leaving nothing better to look at than the ground beneath her feet.

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