Montreat Minute 09/29/23
Judge Issues Written Order on MRA Lodge/Hotel Issue
Late last week, the Town received the written order (a legal explanation) of Superior Court Judge Peter Knight’s reasoning for reversing the Montreat Board of Adjustment’s decision to grant MRA permission to build a Lodge on their Assembly Drive/Collegiate Circle property.
The written order finalizes a process begun in the Spring of 2022 when two parties, the Jones family and Kate Hayner, appealed the Board’s January 2022 decision to grant the Special Use Permit for construction. In May 2023, Judge Knight, after hearing testimony and reviewing records, reversed the Board’s decision, meaning MRA would not be allowed to build the lodge/hotel. The written order requires that the Board of Adjustment revoke the Special Use Permit that was granted, which they will do at their next meeting.
To review the Judge’s written order, CLICK HERE.
Bears’ Fall Eat-A-Thon: What’s On The Menu At Your House?
In the fall, bears are hard at work searching for plenty of food so they can fatten up for the winter ahead. The hunt for food starts in late summer as berries and fruits ripen and shifts into high gear when calorie-packed nuts and seeds (soft and hard mast) are available. By fall bears are foraging up to 20 hours a day in a race against the clock. This annual power-eating marathon is called hyperphagia.
During hyperphagia, bears need to eat ten times the calories they normally consume – that’s at least 20,000 calories a day. Their goal: put on as much weight and insulating fat as possible before turning in for the winter. Even bears that live in warmer climates and den up later or sometimes not at all still go into hyperphagia in the fall.
A pound of acorns has about 2,100 calories; a pound of blueberries, just 256 calories. It takes many hours of foraging each day for bears to find 20,000 calories’ worth of nuts and berries. But just one bird feeder full of black oil sunflower seed or one garbage container overflowing with leftovers can reward a bear with a day’s worth of calories for less than an hour’s work. No wonder human-provided foods can be even more tempting as winter closes in. For more to this story, visit the BearWise website by CLICKING HERE.
Five years ago, Town Staff and the Town Council began publishing the Montreat Minute every Friday to keep residents and friends informed of Town happenings. Now we would like to hear from you as to how you like the Montreat Minute and how it can be improved.
Please take three minutes (honestly, that’s all it takes!) to complete the nine question survey. In turn, we will collect the results and report the results back in a future Montreat Minute. Now is your chance to give us ideas and suggestions. To take the survey, CLICK HERE.
Town Sponsoring State Legislative Update
On Thursday, October 19th, from 4:30pm to 6:00, the Town is sponsoring a 2023 State Legislative Update in the Town Hall Community Room. The speaker will be State Representative Eric Ager, who represents House District 114, which includes Montreat.
The update will give residents the opportunity to learn and ask questions about what has taken place during this year’s North Carolina General Assembly session, including the recently passed state budget. Representative Ager will summarize major legislation adopted by the General Assembly during the 2023 state legislative session, of which there are impacts on local communities. There will be a Q&A session following his presentation. A brief reception will begin at 4:30 with light refreshments. Representative Ager will begin his remarks at 4:45. All are invited to attend.
Updates and Reminders
- The Landcare Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 4th at 9:00am in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will be live streamed. Streaming instructions can be found here. All are invited to attend.
- The Planning & Zoning Commission will meet on Thursday, October 5th at 10:30am in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will be live streamed. For the agenda and streaming instructions, CLICK HERE. All are invited to attend.
- Do you receive your own copy of the Montreat Minute or know someone who doesn’t? Sign up for the Sunshine List to receive the Montreat Minute and stay “in the know” about the Town’s happenings. CLICK HERE to sign up for the list!
Questions or Comments?
Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angie Murphy at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Have a great weekend!