The town of Marshall isn't giving up on Blannahasset Island even thought the island sustained significant damage from flooding during Hurricane Helene.
But Sunday, community members gathered in the auditorium at Marshall High Studios for a visioning event aimed at shaping the island’s future.
When Hurricane Helene made landfall in Western North Carolina in 2024, it devastated Marshall, destroying homes, roads, bridges and businesses.
The roughly 10-acre island, including its playgrounds and walking track, sustained significant damage as the French Broad River crested at 20 feet.
Town leaders are also working to relocate a sewage treatment plant off the island, which was also severely impacted by the storm, according to the Asheville Citizen Times.
The visioning event is the first in a series of meetings that will gather community input, according to Chris Joyell, director of Appalachian Design Center which organized the event.
The nonprofit connects residents with architects, engineers, graphic designers, landscape designers, and planners, all of whom are working that is pro bono, according to its website. Joyell said the design teams for the Design Center start by listening and engaging residents, business owners and leaders in a community-driven design process that reflects the communities local values, aspirations, and capacity.
“ I ask all our designers, when they show up in the community to kind of take everything that they have in their head and set it aside and let the community describe to us the problems we're trying to solve and the potential solutions they've already come up with,” Joyell said.
The Design Center has also worked with other communities impacted by Helene, including Bakersville, Hot Springs and Swannanoa.
For many longtime Marshall residents, like Ellen Pearson, the island is deeply personal.
Pearson has lived in Marshall for 23 years. She said the island inspired her wedding ring.
“When we got married about three years ago —my husband has a ring similar to it that looks just the same — it's the view that you get at the south end of this island,” Pearson said. “It was an everyday occurrence for us to be here with the dogs and just enjoying walks and the outdoors.”
Pearson said she hopes that Blannahassett’s future includes restoring its natural beauty as well as creating a walking track and holding more family events for the community.
Residents shared a range of ideas for the island’s future, including a dog park, walking and running track, and a playground for kids.
