wilkes

A public meeting will be held for comments on the Town of North Wilkesboro's plans to seek funds for cleaning up the three-acre Smoot Tannery-Jenkins property on Maple Street.

The meeting, set for 5:30 p.m., Oct. 29, also is for comments on potential uses of the property once it is cleaned up. The meeting will be in the town board room in Town Hall at the intersection of Main and Ninth streets.

Comments can also be submitted to North Wilkesboro Planning Director Meredith Detsch at any time prior to Nov. 14 via email at planning@northwilkesboronc.gov or by calling 336-667-7129.

Seeking these public comments is a requirement in the process of applying for a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant for cleaning up the property, said Detsch.

A recent environmental assessment of the property identified various contaminants on the site, all resulting from commercial operations.

The EPA awarded over $100,000 to the N.C Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for the study under the federal Brownfields Property Reuse Act of 1997.

It included drilling wells for testing groundwater.

Detsch said during the town board's Oct. 17 meeting that the property has chemicals called volatile organic compounds, petroleum products, asbestos, lead and other contaminants.

Detsch said the town needs to gain control of the property to secure grants for hiring a specialized entity to remove contaminants and do other cleanup. She said this will cost several million dollars.

The North Wilkesboro commissioners unanimously agreed to bid a maximum of $60,000 for buying the property in a foreclosure process for failure to pay property taxes during the Oct. 17 meeting.

The foreclosure was initiated by attorney Tony Triplett, who represents Wilkes County government. To be successful, a bid must at least include the North Wilkesboro and county property taxes owed on the property. Detsch said no taxes have been paid on the property in 10 years.