North Carolina
Court sides with homeowners in NC ski country who want short-term rentals
![Court sides with homeowners in NC ski country who want short-term rentals](https://cmg-cmg-tv-10030-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/Ah0Y0qE-5_Wrqd-WB1IH7AEZ570=/1440x810/filters:format(png):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/MNZS7GIT2BBZFFNAGOTCMQ635Q.png)
HIGH COUNTRY, N.C. — After a homeowners association in the North Carolina High Country tried to block short-term rentals during ski season, a court has ruled against the HOA.
The Reserve II sits feet from the slopes on the top of Sugar Mountain in Avery County. Jeff and Martha Wells have had their home there for more than 10 years. At one time, they rented their condominium.
They spoke to Channel 9â²s Dave Faherty about the three-year-long battle over whether or not short-term rentals should be allowed there.
âI feel like the people who are suing really have the right to a short-term rental because they bought with that intent,â Martha Wells said.
In January 2021, the board of the homeowners association received complaints of overcrowding, noise, garbage, and unauthorized parking during ski season. Itâs why they voted to ban short-term rentals during the winter months.
Tom Drasites lives just down the street and told Faherty that ski season can be overwhelming at times.
âThree-day weekends, bachelor parties, kids coming in and partying hard — Iâm not too much into it. Iâd rather have a long-term rental,â he said.
The court of appeals found that the trial court was correct when it ruled in favor of the homeowners. They wanted short-term rentals, explaining âan amendment to a condominium associationâs declaration which contained a prohibition on short-term rentals was unreasonable where the original declaration expressly contemplated the units being rented.â
Jeff Wells believes many of the problems came during the pandemic, which was when he said short-term rentals increased in the mountains.
âPeople werenât following any of the rules,â he said. âTheyâd leave their trash out. And theyâd bring extra cars. Thatâs what started the whole thing.â
Faherty is still trying to find out if the homeowners association will have to pay all of the attorneyâs fees for the court battle.
(WATCH BELOW: High Country skiers get snow just in time for holiday weekend)
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North Carolina
NC Senate passes CPACE funding program to make clean energy upgrades more accessible
![NC Senate passes CPACE funding program to make clean energy upgrades more accessible](https://images.wral.com/presentation/v3/images/content/social/open_graph/wralnews_1920x1080.jpg)
The legislature advanced a new financing program Thursday that aims to make clean energy upgrades more accessible, including rooftop solar, energy efficient HVAC systems, and LED lighting.
Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) financing allows businesses to borrow money for upgrades and pay it back over time through a small increase in property taxes.
Clean energy advocates, including Matt Abele with the North Carolina Clean Energy Association, applaud the move.
“It’s a monumental step in clean energy here in North Carolina,” Abele said.
More than 38 states have already passed legislation for CPACE programs and more than $2 billion in projects have been financed nationwide, according to the Department of Energy.
“This is going to help those businesses put more money back into their pocket, be able to pay their employees more money, and continue to reinvest in the communities that they are already invested in,” Abele said.
State Treasurer Dale Folwell has strongly opposed efforts to introduce a state C-PACE program in recent years.
“CPACE is a form of predatory lending,” Folwell said. “It manipulates the free market to incentivize small businesses to be offered loans that will have higher interest rates and a higher rate of default. It’s also particularly concerning that when used for so-called green energy projects, that by the time the borrower has a problem, the lender is far removed from the transaction and has no liability if the project never meets its cost savings targets, leaving small business owners holding the bag to keep paying for something that isn’t working.”
Supporters say the treasurer’s concerns apply more to PACE lenders in the residential sector.
“It’s a voluntary option for commercial entities who are looking for an additional opportunity to finance the system,” Abele said. He also noted that clean energy upgrades could help businesses be more resilient in the face of climate change.
“It’s not only a clean energy and sustainability tool, it’s also a resiliency and a bottom line tool for businesses to decrease their utility bills and keep their doors open in the face of increasingly severe storms coming through the region,” Abele said.
North Carolina
Krystal Opens New Store at a Circle K in Wilson, North Carolina
![Krystal Opens New Store at a Circle K in Wilson, North Carolina](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/krystalcirclek.jpg)
Circle K is making it easy for commuters and travelers along two major highway arteries to refresh, fill up and charge up.
The global convenience store chain celebrated the reopening of its location at I-95 and Raleigh Rd. Parkway on Wednesday, June 26, to include the largest bank of EV fast chargers in North Carolina as well as the state’s first Krystal restaurant.
To mark the occasion, representatives of the Wilson Chamber of Commerce joined Circle K and Krystal leaders and cut the ribbon at 11 a.m. On opening day, customers enjoyed samples of food, prize raffles, giveaways and fun kids’ activities; free EV charging all day long; and a 40-cent per gallon discount on fuel from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Located at 4940 Raleigh Rd. Pkwy near I-95 exit 121 close to the I-587 interchange, the 6,781-square-foot store employs 25 team members and includes:
- A fuel canopy with 18 pumps serving Circle K gasoline and diesel fuel
- Five lanes of high-speed diesel offering DEF, along with a CAT Scale and truck parking
- The largest Electronic Vehicle charging site in North Carolina, with 20 Tesla and 5 Circle K charging spots
- A 2,000 square-foot Krystal’s Restaurant.
Krystal is known as the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South, serving up fresh, hot sliders on signature square buns since 1932. The Wilson Circle K location is operated by Circle K staff, offering around-the-clock service, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night menus.
Inside the store, in addition to a full range of branded snacks and packaged beverages, ice cold beer, age-restricted offerings and clean restrooms, customers can enjoy grab and go fresh food, fast sandwiches, burgers and snacks, 100% sustainably sourced coffee freshly ground to order, ice cold Polar Pop favorites, and signature Froster frozen drinks, as well as a wide range of convenience items.
“We are on a mission to make our customers’ lives a little easier every day, and this site does so in a big way for local customers as well as interstate travelers,” said Will Rice, Circle K Vice President of Operations, Coastal Carolinas Region. “We’re excited to bring this new experience to Wilson, meeting the needs of EV drivers and truck drivers alike, as well as a Krystal restaurant and updated store experience to enjoy while you’re plugged in or filling up.”
North Carolina
Undecided voters in North Carolina frustrated by first 2024 presidential debate
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