Pisgah House Questions & Answers

What is Pisgah House?

Pisgah House is a new, multi-purpose facility that will serve as the residence for current and future UNC Asheville Chancellors, as well as a location for University-hosted meetings, receptions, dinners, programs and performances. Each campus in the University of North Carolina system is required to provide a residence for its chancellor.


Where will it be located?
Pisgah House and its access drive will be located on two acres of the 50-acre property owned by the University that is bordered by W.T. Weaver Boulevard and Broadway. The entrance to Pisgah House will be just off W.T. Weaver Boulevard. The access drive will intersect with the entrance road to the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station. To see the site map, please go to www.unca.edu/news/pisgah_house_map.html.


Why did the University select the W.T. Weaver Boulevard site?
The UNC Asheville Board of Trustees looked at three locations on University-owned land that were not in the core of the campus, which is reserved for future academic buildings. The sites the Board considered were: the Chestnut Ridge property, which sits above the N.C. Center for Retirement's Reuter Center; the bottomland to the left of UNC Asheville's entrance; and the W.T. Weaver Boulevard property. The Chestnut Ridge property was ruled out because the 60-space parking area the site required was too environmentally intrusive. The bottomland was ruled out because it was in the Glenn Creek flood plain. The W.T. Weaver Boulevard property was selected because of its absence of old growth trees (the land had been cleared previously when it was used as a dairy farm); because of its proximity to the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station entrance road and parking lot; because of its proximity to the University's food service, which negated the need to add catering facilities to Pisgah House; and because it is a walkable distance from the main campus, an important aspect of UNC Asheville's sustainability efforts.

How is the project being paid for?
Pisgah House is a privately funded project of the UNC Asheville Foundation. While classroom buildings are funded by state allocations and bond referendums, each campus in the University of North Carolina system is required to provide a residence for its chancellor. The UNC Asheville Foundation has raised more than $1.5 million in private support for the public portion of the building, grounds and the building’s infrastructure. Net proceeds from sale of the former chancellor's residence on Macon Avenue have funded a significant part of the residential portion of the new building. When completed, the Foundation will donate Pisgah House to the state for use by UNC Asheville.


How large will Pisgah House be?
The two-story facility will be approximately 6,253 square feet. The first-floor public space will occupy two-thirds of the square footage and second-floor Chancellor's Residence will occupy one-third of the total square footage. Pisgah House will have a parking area for six cars. The public space will be used for University-hosted meetings, receptions, programs and performances, and dinners. To see a rendering, please go to www.unca.edu/news/pisgah_house_rendering.html.


Who is the architect and builder?
The Hendersonville-based firm Ken Gaylord Architects/Black Hawk Construction has been selected as the Pisgah House designer and contractor. Gaylord has worked with the UNC Asheville Foundation to define a type of architecture called "Blue Ridge Style," so that Pisgah House will look as though it belongs in Asheville and nowhere else in the nation.


What is the construction timeline?
Construction began in October 2007 and is expected to be completed in fall 2009. Every step is being taken to minimize disruption of the local neighborhood during the construction of Pisgah House. Ken Gaylord Architects, the designer and contractor for Pisgah House, is responsible for ensuring that the neighborhood is shown respect during construction and for complying with the City of Asheville's building ordinances for work hours, containment of debris, mud ramps and fencing the work site for safety.

Construction crews are typically on site Mondays through Fridays, although as with any construction project, there will be occasions when Saturday work is required. Construction hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but may on occasion extend to 7 p.m. All operations fully comply with the City of Asheville Noise Ordinance (Article IV, Section 10-84.11). The project also fully complies with erosion and sedimentation control site requirements of the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources’ Division of Land Resources. Because Pisgah House is being built on state-owned land, the North Carolina State Construction Office and the North Carolina Department of Insurance have jurisdiction over construction inspections.

Does the public still have access to the trails on the W.T. Weaver Boulevard property?
Yes, UNC Asheville's neighbors still have full access to the extensive trail system on the property. Because of safety issues, those portions of the trail passing closest to the Pisgah House site were redirected before construction began. Cyclists remain able to ride across the property to campus. The trails are posted. To see a trail map go to www.unca.edu/news/pisgah_trail_map.html.

UNC Asheville has long been a supporter of walking trails and bike paths in the city. The University partnered with the City of Asheville to create the first two segments of the citywide Greenway, which run along Glenn's Creek on W.T. Weaver Boulevard. UNC Asheville continues to maintain this portion of the Greenway. The University also continues to increase its bike lanes on campus, with a new segment added last summer.


Will Pisgah House create increased traffic in the Montview-Mt. Clare neighborhood?
No, there should be no increased traffic through the Montview-Mt. Clare neighborhood. The only access road to Pisgah House is off the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station’s entrance road. There is not an access road from the Montview-Mt. Clare neighborhood. In addition to evening usage of the parking area at the National Forest Service's Southern Research Station, UNC Asheville's existing shuttle service will be used to transport people from campus to events at Pisgah House.


Do you really think people will use the campus shuttles?
Yes, the University uses them regularly with great success. Shuttles are one aspect of UNC Asheville's ongoing efforts to reduce vehicular traffic and increase the use of mass transit, bicycling, and walking.

What about road access to the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station during construction?

The Southern Research Station's entrance road will be open to normal traffic throughout construction.

What about lighting at the Pisgah House once it's completed? How bright is it going to be?
The lighting will be like that of any other home. There will be no "stadium" lighting.


What green features will Pisgah House have?
Pisgah House will be energy efficient and is being built using sustainable construction practices, materials and equipment. Emphasis has been placed on site selection and orientation, conservation of water resources, bio-retention basins and native plant landscaping. Impact on the environment will be further reduced by coordinating parking with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station, thereby reducing the amount of paved area needed adjacent to the building.

Will UNC Asheville Chancellors actually live there?
Yes, Pisgah House will be the actual residence of the current Chancellor and her family. Future UNC Asheville Chancellors will use Pisgah House as their residence as well. Each campus in the University of North Carolina system is required to provide a residence for its chancellor.


I have heard that UNC Asheville is building a five-acre development. Is that true?
No, it's not. The UNC Asheville Board of Trustees set aside five acres of the 50-acre property to allow the architect and planners the ability to fine-tune the site selection for a single facility. Two of the five acres will be used for Pisgah House, its grounds and access drive.


I have heard that Pisgah House will be a conference center. Is that true?
No, it's not. Pisgah House will be the site for smaller meetings. A reception there will typically have 20 to 50 guests. Larger receptions at the beginning and the end of the academic year may have several hundred guests, who will be able to ride shuttles or walk from campus. The convocation center you may be thinking of is part of the North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness that UNC Asheville is building adjacent to Justice Center on the main campus. The convocation center will be used for national speakers, conferences and other large meetings, as well as a venue for basketball games.


Are you aware that there are graves on the W.T. Weaver Boulevard property? What will happen to them?
Yes, UNC Asheville is aware of the presence of an abandoned cemetery on the W.T. Weaver Boulevard property and that area was purposely avoided when determining the Pisgah House site. Pisgah House will not be located near the cemetery and none of the graves will be disturbed during construction. The cemetery is estimated to date from the early- to mid-19th century. An examination of local property records, burial records and oral histories from area residents did not shed any additional light on the cemetery's origin nor the identity of those who may be buried there. UNC Asheville welcomes any documentation concerning the cemetery and graves.


What about the trees on the property? What will happen to them?
The great majority of the trees, including the large oaks at the back of the property, have not be disturbed. Trees within the Pisgah House site are, for the most part, white pines, which seeded the site once the dairy property was no longer in use. The lack of old-growth trees at this site was one of the reasons for its selection, and the Pisgah House and access road have been specifically sited to minimize impact on hardwoods. University staff members, who are very familiar with the property, carefully walked the Pisgah House site with the architect and the contractors and tagged trees within the zone that have been protected during construction. Those trees that were taken down will be reused for other campus construction projects.

Invasive species on the Pisgah House grounds have been removed, and native and non-invasive species will be added. The University hopes to begin propagation of native species in the near future because some species are not readily available from commercial growers.


Will UNC Asheville's natural sciences faculty and students still be able to conduct research on the W.T. Weaver Boulevard property?
Yes, they will continue to be able to conduct environmental research on the property. In addition, faculty and students are currently conducting or have the opportunity to conduct research on the Chestnut Ridge property, which is owed by the University and sits above the N.C. Center for Creative Retirement's Reuter Center, and at Sandy Bottom, a 50-acre wetlands near the Blue Ridge Parkway and North Carolina Arboretum that was a gift to the University and is held in conservancy for scientific research.


How did you inform the neighborhood about the project?
Here is the timeline:

■ July 25, 2005: A news release announcing the UNC Asheville Board of Trustees' intent to sell  the former Chancellor's Residence on Macon Avenue and build a new multi- purpose facility on or near campus was sent to area print, television and radio media outlets and posted on UNC Asheville's News & Events Web page.

■ August 3-4, 2005: The Asheville Citizen-Times and The Daily Planet both ran stories on the Board of Trustees' approval of the sale of the Macon Avenue house and plans for a new facility.

■ August 25, 2005: A news release was sent to area print, television and radio media outlets and posted on UNC Asheville's News & Events web page announcing the UNC Asheville Board of Trustees' selection on August 24 of the W.T. Weaver Boulevard property as the site for Pisgah House and providing specifics for the upcoming neighborhood informational session.

■ August 25, 2005: A letter of invitation to a community meeting and the August 25 news release mentioned above, were mailed to residents of the Montview-Mt. Clare Neighborhood.

■ August 29, 2005: The informational session for the Montview-Mt. Clare neighborhood was held at 7 p.m. in the Owen Conference Center. Some 19 community members attended, as well as a number of UNC Asheville administrators and staff. Those attending were given fact sheets and maps of the property. In addition, large-scale visuals were on view that showed the location of Pisgah House as it relates to the neighborhood and University property.

■ November 2006: A Pisgah House web site was developed that provides project information, site and trail maps, as well as links to news releases. Regular updates will continue to be posted to www.unca.edu/construction/Pisgah.html throughout Pisgah House construction.

■ February 14, 2007: Oversized postcards from the UNC Asheville Foundation were mailed to the Montview-Mt. Clare neighborhood inviting residents to an update and discussion concerning Pisgah House to be held February 27, 2007.

■ February 19, 2007: A news release announcing the upcoming neighborhood meeting was sent to area print, television and radio media outlets, and posted on UNC Asheville's News & Events web page and the Pisgah House web page.

■ February 23, 2007: The Asheville Citizen-Times ran a short article concerning the concerning the upcoming meeting.

■ February 27, 2007: A dozen community members attended the update and discussion meeting, along with several UNC Asheville administrators and staff. Speakers included architect Ken Gaylord. Topics included the relocation of a portion of the walking trails and the preservation of trees. New fact sheets were provided and large-scale visuals of the design of the facility and its location were on view.