Buncombe is considering preventive zoning for crypto mines
Could a cryptocurrency mining operation be built in Buncombe County? The question is scheduled for discussion during a board meeting on Tuesday 21 February at 3 p.m
The county has not received applications for such a development, according to a staff presentation given ahead of the briefing. But commissioners are expected to consider whether the county regulation should be updated in anticipation of future development requests.
Current county regulation does not specifically define cryptocurrency mining or outline areas where it would be permitted. A proposed “mine” — a large warehouse full of computer servers that process crypto transactions — would therefore likely be allowed anywhere the county currently allows warehouses or storage facilities.
The question to be asked at Tuesday’s briefing is whether Buncombe should create a temporary moratorium on cryptocurrency mining development to give the county time to define and create specific zoning restrictions. Before adopting such a moratorium, the board must hold a public hearing and a formal vote; no timeline for this process has been proposed.
Alternatively, county officials can decide to leave the regulations as they are. The presentation notes that cryptominers typically choose areas with flat, abundant, affordable land — places unlike Buncombe County. As previously reported by Citizen-TimesCherokee County has become home to several mines in recent years, raising community concerns about noise and energy use.
In other news
At the commissioners’ meeting later that day, county staff will present a financial update for the second quarter of the 2022-23 fiscal year. Midway through the fiscal year, the county is expected to show revenues and expenditures of about 50% of its annual budget, and Buncombe’s general fund appears to be on track.
Revenue for Buncombe’s solid waste fund, which depends on the use of the county fill and transfer station, is down from last year and is currently 34.8% of the annual budget. While expenses are increasing due to capital projects and debt service for a landfill expansion, they also remain below half of the annual budget of 31.1%. An accompanying staff report says “there are no areas of concern” about the current rate of spending.
Commissioners will also vote on a budget amendment to accept a $1.1 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation to the county’s Justice Department. The grant will provide two years of funding for two positions that focus on reducing racial disparities in the prison population.
Consent agenda and public comment
The board’s consent agenda for the meeting contains five items, which are approved as a package unless they are separated for separate consideration.
In addition to the routine approval of the minutes, the agenda includes an approximately $1.27 million contract with Eagle Solar and Light to install solar panels on four Buncombe County Schools facilities and one county-owned building. The work represents the last phase of the county’s previously adopted plan for the installation of solar energy on municipal buildings. If approved, work will start this summer.
The board will also hold a special meeting at 12:30 on the same day to interview candidates for the General Obligation Bond Community Oversight Committee and the Land of Sky Regional Council.
The full agenda and supporting documents for the ordinary meeting can be found at this link. Personal public comment will be taken at the start of the meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. in Room 326 at 200 College St., Asheville; no voice mail or email comments are allowed.
The special meeting, the briefing and the ordinary meeting will be broadcast live on the county’s Facebook page and will subsequently be available via YouTube.
