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Walker blames Dillsboro for delaying his expansion project

By Rose Hooper
To most folks, 28 feet by 28 feet may not seem like much space. But T.J. Walker told the Dillsboro Town Board that it represents a large investment for him.

Walker, owner of the Dillsboro Inn, had planned an eight-room expansion of his inn on River Road. But now it appears that the expansion will have to be an entirely separate unit, and that it will fall under flood plan restrictions and regulations.

At a rather heated - and unannounced to the public - board meeting Monday night, Walker told the board that until last week he was not informed that he needed a base-line elevation and engineering study to build the additional cabin. The study determines if a structure in a flood plain area would cause damage or back-up during a flood.

Mayor Wade Wilson referred the issue to the board, distancing himself by saying, "T.J. and I have already had words."

Walker told the board that the 28-by-28 foot cabin would comply with the county's requirement to be 15 feet above the high water mark. Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has given him a permit for his shoreline restoration project, he said.

"In earlier conversations with (Dillsboro Town Clerk) Herb Nolan, I was led to believe that the Dillsboro board would approve my permit as soon as I resolved my discrepancy with Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority," Walker told the board. "Then just last week I learned there's a whole new set of barriers for me."

Nolan, however, did not agree with Walker's assessment of "earlier conversations" and said that until last week the two had only met casually on the street corner.

The TWSA discrepancy included 190 feet of sewer line and three man holes on Walker's property.

"That sewer line wasn't listed as an easement on my deed when I bought the property, and it runs right down the middle of my front yard where I had planned the new addition," Walker said.

"The previous owner gave Dillsboro verbal permission to put those sewer lines there," Dillsboro's TWSA representative, Jim Cochran, told Walker. "When TWSA was formed in 1992, that verbal agreement transferred from the town to them. There was no legal requirement for an easement."

"If you had invested in a property survey in the first place, you wouldn't be facing these problems," town board member Jean Hartbarger told Walker.

After three months of negotiation with TWSA, Walker said he has agreed not to build within five feet of the sewer line or man holes.

"That means I have to move the addition 10 feet behind the inn, making it a total separate unit, rather than just a simple addition," Walker said. "I've already invested $15,000 in the plans and down payment. Since December I've been researching the permits I need. Now, you are telling me I need to invest another $6,000 for an engineering study. I was not told that before.

"The logs for this cabin have already been cut, just waiting to be put in place. I'd hoped to have it up by June 15 because I need the income from it," he continued.

Nolan said before last week he had never met formally with Walker to review his building expansion plans or advise him of required permits.

Walker, who had a previous property dispute with the town, asked if that had "created any acrimony on this issue."

"That doesn't have a thing to do with this," Vice Mayor Reg Moody responded. "Nobody on this board is against your project. What does create acrimony is when you come in here threatening lawsuits."

"I have no intentions of suing Dillsboro," Walker said. Describing himself as "an environmentalist, one who believes in sustainable growth and one who wants to be a good steward of the property and a good neighbor to Dillsboro, Walked stressed, "I want to work concurrently with the town on shoreline restoration. I am willing to donate 20 tons of landscape rock to the town."

Wilson told Walker he would check with the town attorney to see "if we can give you permission to go ahead and build your cabin. We have to determine our liability here." Wilson said he should have an answer within the week.

Walker also has three shoreline suites he would like to develop, but he agreed to deal with that issue separately.

Dillsboro's next announced meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, June 12.

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