Fletcher deal may limit plant annexation

FLETCHER -- Fletcher leaders are near reaching a deal with manufacturer ArvinMeritor to forestall annexing the factory while putting much of its 200 acres in the town's corporate boundary.

The agreement would prevent an involuntary annexation, which local economic development leaders had warned could lead to the loss of the plant and its more than 700 jobs. At the same time, it would clear the way for Fletcher to possibly annex a major new shopping center planned south of town.

The Fletcher Town Council, in June, approved a "resolution of consideration" that would give the town two years to explore annexing the truck axle manufacturer. The company owns more than 200 acres valued at $21,569,200 at 1000 Rockwell Road off U.S. 25 South and has equipment and facilities valued at $72.7 million. If annexed, it would add more than $94.2 million to the town's tax base and pay more than $254,000 per year in property taxes under the town's tax rate of 27 cents per $100 value.

ArvinMeritor announced in May it would close 13 of its factories worldwide, including nine in North America. Additional property taxes the company would have to pay if annexed would "not play into the Henderson County facility's favor as these tough decisions are made," said Bob Williford, president of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, in an August column.

Fletcher leaders said from the beginning the annexation was not a done deal, and that they were willing to negotiate. Those talks are expected to yield an agreement soon, Fletcher Councilman Bob Davy said.

"We are working very closely with ArvinMeritor, so it is not going to be a bad thing for them," Davy in a candidate interview with the Times-News.

Under the agreement, the company will request voluntary annexation of much of its land minus the property the plant occupies, Davy said. The pact would also leave some room for the plant to grow without being annexed. It would add 12 years to an existing agreement the plant had with the town to avoid annexation through 2014.

Town leaders say they need to be able to annex ArvinMeritor's undeveloped property to allow Fletcher to continue to expand southward.

Davy and George Clayton, the Fletcher Planning Board member who is vying for Davy's seat in the Nov. 6 election, have both expressed reservations about involuntary annexation. Davy said it may be needed for towns to control their commercial corridors, "but I'm not nearly as strong on annexation of subdivisions and houses unless that is actually needed to protect commercial development."

Clayton said Fletcher incorporated in 1989 to avoid being annexed "and now they are doing the same thing on the south end of town that they were afraid Asheville would do to them. So I think involuntary annexation is not my first choice. ... Involuntary annexation should be a last resort."

ArvinMeritor Plant Manager Brian Cavagnini was out of his office Monday and a call to the company's corporate communications office in Troy, Mich., was not returned.

Town Manager Mark Biberdorf said the town and company are close but have not yet finalized an agreement. Town leaders hope to finish the deal within a month.

"There are some things we have to do procedurally to make sure the agreement is ready and we are both comfortable before we can say this is a done deal," he said.

The town has been negotiating with the company for months and "we are optimistic we are very close on this. We are just looking forward to having an agreement we think will benefit them and benefit the town for many years to come."

Having part of the company's land within the town would make it easier for the town to annex other areas south of present town boundaries. Asked if that might include the large commercial development planned on the south of Broadmoor Golf Course, Biberdorf responded "there is the potential there."

A Charlotte developer plans to build a major shopping center on 200 acres of the Tap Root Dairy. The proposal, which still faces many hurdles, would include a a pedestrian-friendly shopping area similar to Biltmore Park along with several big box retailers.

"That thing still has to be built; they have got to purchase the land and there are a lot of things that have to happen before that is done," Biberdorf said. "We would like it to be in the town. We will probably be the ones providing services to it just due to their proximity."

Broadmoor Golf Links is already within Fletcher, while the 322-acre dairy property is not. The dairy is bounded by the golf course, Interstate 26, Butler Bridge Road and the French Broad River.