The following members of the Council were present:

Mayor Marcia Almond

Councilmember Robert Kehrberg

Councilmember Daniel Shields

Councilmember Nilofer Couture

Councilmember Larry Ingersoll

Stephanie Gibson, Clerk

The following non-Council members were Present: 

Residents Andrew Mramor, Sarah Garcia, Jim Hartley (Planning Board), Sharon Stovall, Robert & Debbie Rowland, Ron & Rochelle Mau, Amy Bollinger (Planning Board), Judah Bollinger, Lori MacLeod, Clark & Wanda Corwin, Doug Painter, Mary Ann Barker, Ron Yount, Robby Hess, April Hicks, Charlie Bell, Stephen Almond, and Hannah Butler (Sylva Herald).

Brown Haven CEO John Allen, Mark Clore, Nate Cocolin, and Alec Stillwell (Brown Haven) 

1. Call to order: at 7:00pm Mayor Almond called the meeting to order. 

     2.  Announcements:

Reminder – Please silence cell phones for meeting. 

     3.  Approval of Agenda: Councilmember Shields made a motion to approve the agenda, Councilmember Ingersoll seconded the motion, unanimously approved. 

     4.  Approval of Meeting Minutes for January 07, 2025, Regular Council Meeting: (All meeting minutes are posted on the Forest Hills website once approved.) Councilmember Shields made a motion to approve the meeting minutes for January 07, 2025, Councilmember Ingersoll seconded the motion, unanimously approved. 

     5.  Acceptance of Financial Report & Checklist for the month of January 2025: (All financial reports are posted on the Forest Hills website once approved.) Councilmember Couture made a motion to approve the financial reports, Councilmember Ingersoll seconded the motion, unanimously approved.

Stephanie asked Council for a motion to reclass funds to cover overage in the Village Social and Office/Administrative line items.  Councilmember Ingersoll made a motion to reclass funds from Professional services to cover $800 in the Village Social line item and $100 in Office/Administrative line item, Councilmember Shields seconded the motion, unanimously approved.

     6.  Brown Haven Homes:  John Allen, CEO of Brown Haven Homes, presented a design for a possible development in the old golf course in Forest Hills.  Mr. Allen said that he would like the Village to consider a rezoning to allow for a P.U.D. (Planned Unit Development), that includes residential, commercial and recreational space.  The proposed name of the development would be The Coves of Forest Hills.  PUDs are a type of zoning that allows for mixed-use development, environmental sustainability, and open spaces.  All homeowners in a PUD are members of a homeowner’s association (HOA).  Mr. Allen shared key points that they considering, he said that significant consideration was given to the existing community resulting in a proposed plan of nearly 50% greenspace with wide buffers between the existing homes and future homes.  He said that they have no intention of student housing, Brown Haven, is a single-family residential homebuilder.  The proposed entrance is at the beginning of the property to minimize the traffic impact of existing homeowners.  All homes proposed are single family detached homes.  Mr. Allen said that proposed homes would range in price from the low $400,000’s to the mid $600,000’s.  An average sales price of $500,000 x 180 homes would increase the tax base by roughly $90,000,000.

     7.  Public Comment: Many of the residents present for the meeting expressed their concern with the impact that the proposed development would have on Forest Hills.  They said the traffic alone created by the proposed 180 additional homes would make it difficult on current residents traveling in and out of the Village.  Many were concerned with how the proposed number of houses would impact the space near their homes as well as the noise and congestion.  Resident Ron Mau asked Mr. Allen if the proposal being discussed follows the Jackson County Subdivision Ordinance and noted that it does not.  The company would have to first apply for rezoning.  If they purchase the property, they would submit a request for a variance, it would go to the Village Planning Board and then be submitted to the Council, a public hearing would be required and then a vote.

     8.  Reports: 

Mayor’s Report: Marcia Almond – Mayor Almond shared that the Village’s Municipal Attorney, Anthony Fox, has retired and that another attorney in the practice, Remington Jackson, would be taking his place.

Mayor Almond announced that she will be going to the NCLM Town State Dinner in Raleigh on February 26^th.

The Southwestern Commission and Councils will meet together on February 11^th.

Mayor Almond said that the TAC meeting consisted primarily of discussions about   funding being more stretched because of the impact Helene had on Western North Carolina. 

Roads: Larry Ingersoll – Councilmember Ingersoll said that BH Graning provided snow removal per their contract but that there was a new employee over snow removal who was not as familiar with all of the Village roads and so he had to contact them to come back and complete some areas where snow was not initially removed and the company had some equipment issues and there were delays in getting roads cleared but that they did come back and complete the areas requested.

Councilmember Ingersoll said that Robbie Hess got the mirrors for the roads and the poles to install them.

Councilmember Ingersoll said that some new signs were needed for Caves Springs Road due to someone driving into them during the snow storm.  He said that he would follow-up.

Councilmember Shields asked if the No Parking sign that had been installed could be moved back about 5’ to assist with sight distance.

Ordinance Violation update: Councilmember Ingersoll and Mayor Almond have spoken to the Attorney about reviewing the STR Ordinance and about language for an animal ordinance for “vicious dogs”. 

Certified letters sent to owners of short tern rentals in the Village were returned since they were not picked up by owners.

Village Safety:  Councilmember Couture said that there were 15 – 911 calls and noted that 5 of them were from Prospect, 2 were for fire alarms and that there was a stabbing at the Sky at Cullowhee and a report of a gunshot.  She said that there were 40 hours of patrol for the month.

•          TWSA:  None 

•          Planning Board:  The Planning Board has not met in sometime but plan to hold a meeting on the last Tuesday in February, they now have a full board.    

9.     New Business: 

RFP for Auditor:  Stephanie noted that the Village needs to submit an RFP to potential new auditors.  She will send a draft to Council members and submit the RFP to potential auditors before the next meeting.

     10.  Unfinished Business: 

•          Updates on Engineering Study:  The Engineering Study is underway and updates will be sent as the company completes stages of the study.
  
  
•          Update on Grants:  TBC   

    11.   Additional Comments:  None

    12.   Adjourn: At 9:15pm, Councilmember Shields made a motion to adjourn.