A series of events last week allowed the community to weigh in on Canton’s vision, from the future of the property where the paper mill is currently being demolished to how it can become more resilient to flooding.
On Aug. 18, members of the general public were invited in to participate in discussions focused on the mill property, flood resilience, recreation and maximizing the value of partnerships between government at all levels and the community. A similar session was held Aug. 19 with stakeholders and organizations involved in Helene recovery like the Army Corps of Engineers.
The goal of the sessions, hosted by Fernleaf, a consulting firm that focuses on resilience planning and support, was to inform local people and organizations about the broad goals that will dictate Canton’s direction as well as present future challenges.
Two Banks Development, the company orchestrating the demolition of the paper mill that shut down in June 2023, eliminating about 1,000 jobs, talked about the guiding principles it’s considering. According to members of Two Banks’ leadership team, some of those guiding principles involve strengthening the local economy, working with nature, bringing the community together, investing in lasting quality and making resilience visible.
The word “resilience” is a direct reference to the massive damage wrought by three large flooding events over the last 22 years — hurricanes Frances and Ivan in 2004, Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 and Hurricane Helene in 2024. Because the mill property straddles the Pigeon River, it is front and center in that discussion. Participants in the Aug. 19 discussion largely hoped to see the land used in a way that prioritizes walkability and nature.
At a station where representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency discussed the town’s future, the goal was to establish what ‘success’ looks like. How can a sustainable and unified vision for Canton that aligns with the greater goals for the county and region be achieved? What does success look like five years from now?
Responses to that question largely focused on continuing recovery from Helene and preventing future storm damage. Flood mitigation infrastructure should be resilient without having too visible an impact on the community and environment, some posited. Canton resident and planning board member Carl Cortright said connecting recreation resources could go a long way.
“Sometimes it feels like the recreation areas are siloed into their little areas. Getting connectivity between all of them and connectivity between the municipalities, I think, would be beneficial to the region,” Cortright said.
Some discussed amenities, while others talked about community buy-in.
A major theme of that discussion was communicating every step of the process to hone the vision for Canton’s future while strongly considering public feedback. Some residents are skeptical of change. Letting them know what is happening and how leaders think certain decisions will benefit residents can go a long way. Multiple people recommended keeping a public “master list” that includes projects, priorities and organizations involved in long-term planning. This means both highlighting work as it’s being done to show people that real results can be demonstrated, and also being proactive in showing that the wishes of the community are being prioritized.
Along with external communication, a priority was maintaining consistent dialogue between governments and stakeholder organizations to prevent overlap and maximize collective strength.
“One of the reasons for this event is just to try to bring together all these different projects,” EPA Disaster and Recovery Coordincator Drew Parker said. “Let’s talk about it in the same room because everyone’s working in their own little realm.”
During the conversations, discussion leaders jotted notes on large sheets of paper with markers to create running lists of ideas and concerns locals shared. That feedback will be considered as a larger plan is crafted over time, a process that will include more public hearings.
Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said that town leaders intentionally stepped back from this part of the planning process. While he offered opening remarks for the sessions, he didn’t stick around. The goal is to view community feedback and proposed solutions with fresh eyes once the time comes. In the meantime, he said elected leaders and staff will continue to move forward in their push to secure more funding and resources for the ongoing recovery.
“We’re like ducks,” he said. “We’re pretty calm on top, but below the surface it feels like we’re paddling like mad to keep afloat.”
Smathers said that at this point, the plan is still only in the developmental stage. While some have expressed fear that there are already actions being taken without public knowledge, that simply isn’t the case.
“Nothing in any public meeting we’re hosting now is anywhere near the final plan that will be brought to us,” he said. “Right now, we’re still in the gathering stage.”