Neighbors raise fire, environmental concerns over stump dump relocation

Riverside Stump Dump LLC held a virtual neighborhood meeting on Jan. 12 to outline plans to relocate its stump disposal operation to a site at Brookshire Road and New Leicester Highway after the company said it must move because of greenway projects planned by the City of Asheville. The meeting drew heavy attendance and numerous questions from neighbors focused on fire risk, site operations and environmental controls.

Residents pressed the company on the core safety concern: mulch and stump piles can smolder or ignite, and past reported fires at other stump dump locations have heightened local anxiety. Neighbors asked how fires would be detected and controlled, what prevention systems would be in place, and whether emergency responders could reach and manage a blaze quickly at the proposed site. Company representatives described operational reasons for relocating and said they are working to comply with state buffers and environmental controls, and outlined mitigation steps for on-site operations.

The proposed site sits at a busy corridor of Buncombe County where land-use change is accelerating as greenway projects and urban planning reshape formerly industrial or undeveloped parcels. That context is central to the debate: the relocation results from public investments in parks and trails, but it also shifts an industrial activity closer to residential streets that may not be prepared for increased truck traffic, dust and smoke. Neighbors voiced concerns about noise, air quality, potential property impacts and emergency services capacity should a smoldering pile become a prolonged incident.

From a policy perspective, the meeting highlighted a familiar tension between infrastructure and environmental goals. City greenway projects advance public recreation and river protection, yet they can displace existing businesses that then seek new sites. State buffer requirements and environmental controls will shape any permit outcome; compliance may require setbacks, stormwater controls and operational limits that affect the facility’s footprint and schedule. For county officials, the situation will test permitting, inspection and emergency planning systems as they weigh economic activity against community health and safety.

For Buncombe County residents near New Leicester Highway, the practical questions are immediate: how will the company store and monitor wood debris, what will be the daily truck movements, and what oversight will enforce buffers and fire mitigation? The virtual meeting made clear that neighbors expect detailed plans before a relocation moves forward.

Our two cents? Watch county and city permit postings, attend public hearings, and ask for a concrete fire mitigation and monitoring plan with inspection triggers. If you live near Brookshire Road or New Leicester Highway, get the details now so local officials and neighbors can weigh safety and quality of life against the need to relocate an existing business.