Session B6-A - Woodfin Greenway & Blueway: Revitalizing a Riverfront
The Town of Woodfin is developing a series of outdoor recreational projects along the French Broad River cumulatively known as the Woodfin Greenway and Blueway. It includes multiple parks connected by a greenway system and is a multi-million-dollar re-visioning of the French Broad River as a regional recreational focal point. The project includes the addition of a Whitewater Wave, which will become a world-class destination for kayakers, canoeists, surfers, tubers, and other river users. The Woodfin Greenway and Blueway envision revitalizing the town’s interface with the French Broad River by connecting people to each other, to public space, and to the river.
Learning objectives:
-learn about the challenges of designing on such a long stretch of riverfront, including:
+ flooding, flood risk and safety
+ environmental analysis
+ site accessibility and inclusivity
+ balancing riverbank stabilization with safe river access for park users
+ addressing water quality concerns and enhancing the health of the French Broad River
-learn about the town’s goals for resource conservation, resiliency, and site regeneration
-learn about the collaboration between multiple partners and how a small town bond was used to leverage funding for a project more than 10 times the size.
Panel discussion
David Tuch
David is a principal partner at Equinox. He holds degrees in Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, and Conservation Ecology & Sustainable Development. David’s work includes sustainable design, regional land planning, recreational planning & design, and application of ecological principles to land use and development projects. David’s work also includes land planning for low impact development, mixed use development and conservation-based development. He planned the first conversation subdivision in Buncombe County, served as the project manager for the award-winning New Belgium East Coast Brewery, and has worked on numerous outdoor recreation projects in region
Allison Daines
Allison has been the Director of Buncombe County Parks & Recreation for the past two years and had previously worked for the Asheville Parks and Recreation Department for over 19 years. She is a certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) and has a passion for working with the community to provide access to a variety of parks and recreation opportunities. Working with Buncombe County has awarded her the opportunity to return to her outdoor roots, she graduated from Unity College in Unity Maine with a B.S. in Outdoor Recreation Leadership. She is proud of the Buncombe County Parks & Recreation mission to seek to promote health and wellness and increase stewardship of the natural world through opportunities for recreation, socialization, and time outdoors, working to highlight and preserve our community’s natural and cultural heritage by creating access to high quality parks, greenways, and recreation programs.
Shannon Tuch
Shannon graduated with a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Georgia. She has worked both in the private and public sectors. With a strong passion for serving the community, Shannon Tuch has spent more than 20 years working in local government. Starting in March 2022, she took on the role of Town Manager for Woodfin, NC – a small community of just over 8000 people nestled on the banks of the French Broad River in western North Carolina. In this position, she oversees various aspects of the town's day-to-day operations, such as the police force, public works, finance, planning & zoning, stormwater management, and parks and recreation. Before joining Woodfin, Shannon gained experience in urban design, planning, and development through different positions, mostly with the City of Asheville. Her background in landscape architecture has played a crucial role in shaping her career path and has provided the foundation for her success.
Marc Hunt
Marc Hunt’s career has included owning and leading whitewater outfitting businesses, community development banking, and land conservation finance. Civically active, he served a term on Asheville City Council, chaired that city’s Greenway Commission, and more recently has been a strategic advisor for the Town of Woodfin's Greenway & Blueway project. He remains an active whitewater paddler and cyclist
Lisa Raleigh
Lisa, a Montana native, resided in Colorado for the past 30 years before relocating to Asheville as Executive Director. Prior to joining RiverLink, she was a nonprofit fundraising consultant and spent eleven years as the Director of Advancement for Colorado Rocky Mountain School. Lisa also co-founded Backbone Media — an outdoor industry specialty PR firm — and is a trained hydrologist with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Oklahoma.
Personally, Lisa is deeply committed to human rights and environmental issues. An international traveler passionate about most things outdoors, she is an avid trail runner, road biker, and climber. Lisa is the proud mom of daughters Sunni and Belle, both of whom were born in Cambodia, raised by Lisa and her husband Duane in the Colorado Rockies, and now are attending Smith College and Fort Lewis College, respectively. Lisa and Duane greatly look forward to immersing themselves in all that Asheville has to offer, and are eager to explore its natural amenities and outdoor pursuits.
Jason Seickel
Jason works on master planning projects and site design and site engineering for parks, playgrounds, greenways, and outdoor recreation projects. Jason also has conducted research on park activation, and the function of park spaces for public interaction and inclusivity. As an ASLA award of honor winner for his research on Depot Park, Gainesville Fl, and the planning of the park as an agent for building community, Jason has shown his passion for measuring recreation performance, especially regarding social equity and accessibility.