TWSA considers relocating to Webster

By Rose Hooper

"We've been in operation nine years, and we've outgrown our current location," King said of the former Kentucky Fried Chicken building at the intersection of N.C. 107 and Business 23 in Sylva.

King proposed moving to D&R Professional Park on N.C. 116. The park, which is being built by Western Builders of Dillsboro, lies within Webster's only designated business district. D&R owners Roger Bartlett and Don Hensley requested their property be voluntarily annexed by the town of Webster in 1997.

"It would cost us between $780,000 and $820,000," King said of his plans to relocate. "Right now we have $300,000 to $350,000 that we could pay for the site. I've checked with several banks and lending institutions, and the lowest interest rate I've researched is 5.39 percent from Wachovia."

The property, located across from Southwestern Community College, is 2 acres and would offer ample room for an office, warehouse, maintenance and all equipment, King said.

"Wait a minute," said member Joe Carter. "Seems to me the train has run a ways down the track here. We've got the concept, plan, place and price, and I've had no prior knowledge of this before tonight. I think we need time to think about it."

"Don't we still have to be in the (Sylva) city limits?" asked member Marion Jones. "That was a big issue the last time we went looking for a new office."

"TWSA's principle office needs to be in the Sylva city limits, but you can have other satellite offices," TWSA attorney Raymond Large said.

Or, he suggested, TWSA can change its bylaws.

"If you do that, it will have to be approved by a majority vote of all the governing boards... Dillsboro, Webster, Sylva and the county," Large said.

"You folks know that I have looked for four years for property within the city limits, and it's either unsuitable or unaffordable," King said.

"We know from experience, the longer you wait, the worse it gets, especially price-wise," said Jones.

TWSA last considered relocating in 1998 to Sylva's Savannah Drive, but town board members refused to rezone the area from residential to light industrial.

The board agreed to put the item on next month's agenda, giving their attorney time to develop the necessary changes to the authority's bylaws.

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