by Cecil Bothwell

A report commissioned by the grassroots group Friends of Town Mountain concludes that the proposed Town Mountain Cove development, formerly known as Bartram's Walk, "could increase the risk of slope instability" on the 130 acre parcel just outside the city limits in Beaverdam.

The report was produced by Golder Associates of Atlanta, an employee-owned geohazard-assessment firm with more than 4,500 staffers working in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas. Golder has offices in at least 27 states and more than 130 worldwide.

Friends of Town Mountain, a nonprofit formed by residents of the upscale neighborhood several months ago, hired Golder to assess the site after the Buncombe County Planning Board approved preliminary plans in August for a development variously called Bartram's Walk, Town Mountain Cove and Town Mountain Bluffs.

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Original article in Mountain Xpress...