ABOUT OUR OFFICE
The Western Regional Office (WRO) offers planning services to the twenty-five westernmost counties in North Carolina and the 125 municipalities located within those counties. While our service area includes urban areas such as Asheville, Hendersonville, Catawba County, and Gaston County, we work primarily with the smaller, less urbanized towns and counties. A list of counties and towns in our service area can be found here.
Our staff has expertise in land use planning, geographic information systems (GIS), housing, local government management, downtown revitalization, economic and community development, facilitation, and North Carolina Planning Statutes. Our office also provides regional and customized training for planning boards and boards of adjustment. Contact our office to discuss these and other services we offer.
In addition to the Community Development Planners in our office, the WRO is home to the Small Towns Main Street Western Coordinator and the Main Street Designer.
To request planning services from the Western Regional Office, please contact Karen Smith, Chief Planner, at (828) 251-6914 or ksmith@nccommerce.com.
MEET OUR STAFF
The Western Regional Office staff includes six Community Development Planners, a GIS Specialist, and an Office Assistant. For more information on our staff, including their backgrounds, interests, and areas of expertise, please see our staff bios.
HOW TO FIND US
The Western Regional Office is located in the Asheville Office Park on the east side of downtown Asheville near the Beaucatcher Tunnel. For parking and directions, click here.
Our mailing and physical address is:
NC Department of Commerce
Division of Community Assistance
Western Regional Office
31 College Place, Building B
Asheville, NC 28801
T: (828) 251-6914
F: (828) 251-6918
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
The Western Regional Office has a diverse project portfolio that includes the following projects:
- Bryson City Land Development Plan
- Madison County Subdivision Ordinance Revision
- Graham and Caldwell County 21st Century Projects
- Hot Springs Visioning Session
- Grahamtown Neighborhood Revitalization (Forest City)
- Murphy Annexation
- Designing Better Places: CD Urban Design Presentation
- Burke County Planning Scenario (GIS Visualization)
WRO NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
February 7, 2008 Board of Adjustment Training Materials posted here.