Black fabric on the Basilica of St. Lawrence? Semi trucks on cut throughs in northern Henderson County?

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:

Question: What’s going on with the black fabric on the exterior of the Basilica of Saint Lawrence? Last week I saw a crew flying a drone around the upper parts of the building. Any chance it will be fully uncovered soon?

My answer: I just assumed the building was in mourning for downtown.

Real answer: Don’t look for an unveiling anytime real soon. And you won’t see anything new behind the fabric.

“The fabric was installed over vulnerable areas of the structure while the Haywood Street sidewalks were being reworked,” Bud Hansbury, property manager for the church. “It was a safety concern due to a lot of vibration as the old walkways were being torn out.”

In short, the Basilica folks did not want any pieces of tile or mortar falling from the church, possibly endangering passersby. The black material is a heavy-duty netting that is securely anchored into the building.

The basilica is a beautiful structure with a fascinating history. Renowned architect Rafael Guastavino, originally from Spain, came to Asheville in the 1890s to work on George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate in the mid-1890’s, according to the church’s website. Guastavino bought a house near Black Mountain, and in 1903 he designed the church, which has a decided Spanish flair.

Guastavino specialized in an “ancient tile and mortar building system that had been used in Catalonia and other parts of Spain for centuries. In St. Lawrence, every horizontal surface in the building is made of this combination of tile and mortar,” the website notes. The church’s dome is especially impressive, and you can see similar tile work in the Biltmore House.

On a personal note here, some of the internal stairs leading up to the bell towers and the roof are made with this tile and mortar system, and they appear to emerge from the walls, without much visible support. I’m convinced that when I walked my tubby body up them about a decade ago to check out the roof, divine intervention was in play.

The church website notes that Guastavino died in 1908, before the Basilica was completed, but his son, Rafael Guastavino Jr., “ensured its completion in 1909.”

After the city finished the sidewalk project, the Basilica turned toward long-term preservation of the church.

“We have had a Historical Structure Report done since then and have and continue to have probes done on areas as we gear up for a national campaign for this big restoration project,” Hansbury said. “We are able to fund some preliminary parts of the project due to the kind and enthusiastic donations from our parishioners.”

The website notes that the first priority is the rainwater collection and dispersal system, as uncontrolled moisture can cause serious problems for older buildings. The church launched a $2.5 million fundraising campaign in 2022 to address this issue, but it also has plans for more work.

“We now have to make sure we have full insight of the total project before the national campaign begins,” Hansbury said. “When the scaffolding goes up the black fabric will start to come down.”

The building report suggested the national campaign could hit $18 million or more.

“Realistically, between myself and the architect, we think we’re looking at more like $25 million,” Hansbury said, noting the church diocese will finalize those figures before the larger campaign begins.

Question: I live on North Rugby Road in northern Henderson County. I regularly see large semi trucks using Rugby Road and Rugby Drive as a cut-through to the interstate, despite the difficulty for these trucks to make the turn onto Rugby Road and Rugby Drive. Three times recently I have had to pull off the side of the road when a large truck’s trailer came into my lane, nearly hitting me because they could not make the turn. How does someone get a “No Through Trucks” sign installed in such unsafe situations?

My answer: I can’t say too much here, but I know a guy who knows a guy with a sign shop in his basement that might be able to hook you up. Shoot me a message.

Real answer: Apparently, the NCDOT can’t just go slapping up these signs without some study.

“Any type of restrictions along NCDOT roadways require careful consideration since the results could negatively impact access for citizens and businesses,” said Steven Buchanan, traffic engineer for NCDOT’s Division 14, which includes Henderson County.

North Rugby and South Rugby are classified as “major collector roadways,” Buchanan said, noting both have a mix of businesses, farms, and homes. They also connect U.S. 25, N.C. 191, and U.S. 64, providing access for residents and businesses.

“Trucks need to be able to access the commercial areas nearby to adequately serve all citizens,” Buchanan said via email.

The NCDOT looks at several factors in these situations, including a significant crash history involving trucks, excessive wear and tear on the roadway, and physical limitations of the roadway.

“In reviewing the latest five-year crash history along North Rugby, South Rugby, and Rugby Drive, the reports do not show a significant crash problem involving semi-trucks,” Buchanan said. “

North Rugby had 57 vehicle crashes, South Rugby 60 and Rugby Drive 23, he said. 

“The only semi-truck incident involved turning right onto South Rugby from N.C. 191, which resulted in minor damage — $300,” Buchanan said.

As far as the physical limitations of North and South Rugby roads, and Rugby Drive, they “do not have physical limitations that would require trucks to be restricted,” Buchanan said. “There are some tight spots at intersections, but these locations can be navigated with a little give and take among motorists.”

Let’s just hope my reader doesn’t take a semi to the hood.

Seriously, Buchanan said a lot of roadways in our mountains involve this kind of give and take, whether it’s between motorists and cyclists, or car drivers and tractor-trailers. 

“There are a lot of shared spaces that require travelers to yield the right of way based upon the need of the user,” Buchanan said. “Tractor trailers need to make wide turns, and other motorists should be willing to share the road so fellow citizens can receive needed goods and services.”

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Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at  jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/donate.