The highlight at this week’s Town Council meeting, is that Council approved a property exchange which allowed the Town to sale the exchanged property to Watauga County for the intended purpose of constructing an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) base on the property. Per the Agreement, the County must begin construction on the EMS base prior to December 31, 2028, or the property reverts back to the Town of Blowing Rock. Town Council has worked diligently over the years towards this important initiative to improve response times in the Town of Blowing Rock.

Two Ordinances were passed relating to Green Hill Road. Ordinance No. 2026-02 was adopted to modify Town code to follow up on the direction of Council at the July meeting and previous meeting where the speed limit was reduced on Green Hill Road. This Ordinance reduces the speed limit on Green Hill Road from 35 and 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour for the full length within Town limits.

Ordinance No. 2026-03 was also adopted to modify Town code restricting thru trucks on Green Hill Road. Green Hill Road is now included in the list of roadways that restrict truck traffic with more than 2 axles.

Since our meeting, these Ordinances have been provided to NCDOT and Chief Kirk is providing these to Google maps and other GPS services. We are currently coordinating with NCDOT to get signage installed.

Congratulations to William Aldinger, who was appointed by Town Council to the ABC Board. Mayor Sellers also recognized Susie Greene and Sylvia Tarleton for their years of service to the ABC Board. Thank you for your service to our community.

Cellular service improvements continue. Blue Ridge Energy recently completed small cell node installations near Shoppes on the Parkway and plans to finish three nodes every two weeks, with twenty-one nodes remaining.

Two statues have been donated and installed this week at Broyhill Park near the gazebo (pictured below). Thank you to our donors, Ron and Catherine Perry in Memory of Pete and Dellie Gillespie and Gigi in honor of Ivy Carrington Smith “Lil Bit”.

Looking ahead:

The Town has issued a Request for Proposals for Enterprise Resource Planning Software and Implementation Services. We are seeking a modern, cloud-based platform to bring core administrative and financial operations into one integrated system, including finance, human resources, payroll, and utility billing. Proposals are due August 31, and we expect to award a contract in October, with a projected go-live date of May 1, 2027.

We also received bids for the USDA Water and Sewer Improvement Project and have rejected them because they were $1M over budget. Staff are reviewing the project scope and identifying available grant opportunities before re-bidding the project as a line-item bid.

If you missed the meeting, they are always live streamed and recorded on our YouTube channel here.

Art in the Park is a unique outdoor museum style experience with a curated selection of regional artists, offering a wide variety of mediums for both experiencing and purchasing.

Art in the Park is on Park Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with free admission and a free shuttle to and from Main Street (park for pick up at Shoppes on the Parkway).

No thru-traffic and no parking permitted on Park Avenue during the event as well.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our Blowing Rock Police Department Cop Out last weekend. 

Over $500 was raised to support the Blowing Rock Parent Teacher Organization!  

Next week our schools open, and the bustle of students begins again on Main Street!

Watauga County Schools are now extending the school days (pictured) so the pickup and drop off times have shifted slightly.

Be sure to use caution at school crossings and a little extra patience in the morning commutes.

We hope you'll join us to get to know our officers and ask any questions you may have for the police department - this includes kiddos who may want to know more about police officers and Blowing Rock! Grab a cup and help us build a stronger community.

This Coffee with a Cop will be held at Bald Guy Brewery (1116 Main St, Blowing Rock) - click here to learn more about them and to see their menu.

You spoke, and we are listening. In a recent Town Council meeting, several people shared concerns during public comments about the prevalence of deer ticks in our area.

In response, we will hold a community meeting on August 21st at 10:00 a.m. at the American Legion (located at 333 Wallingford Street - beside the parking deck).

North Carolina Wildlife Officer Devon McGuire and Dr. Steven Seagle, Professor, Terrestrial Ecosystem and Landscape Ecology with App State's Department of Biology will discuss deer ticks and related issues currently facing the state. The facility offers nearby parking and will provide ample time for discussion. This meeting will give residents an opportunity to ask questions and receive information based on the concerns raised. Because Blowing Rock is a pet-friendly community, we will also discuss the importance of protecting pets from ticks.

Community Meeting:

Law Enforcement in Blowing Rock August 24th

If you haven't yet checked out Mortimer's Craft Butchery & Bakery on Valley Boulevard, you should! From cupcakes, soft pretzels, scones, to choice cut meats. There's so much to enjoy at Mortimer's.

Carolina Coffee has newly opened at Shoppes on the Parkway. This business got its start in Lenoir and is now offering their colorful drinks and sweet treats here. Stop in and welcome them to town!