Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:

Question: Recently, I saw a newly drawn-up map of yet a different proposal of how the owners of Enka Center intend to use that land. It consisted of three buildings and parking areas. I did not see a clock tower in the drawing. Would you confirm that the clock tower will stay? I am also interested in knowing what type of use is expected for the three buildings as drawn. I can't help but wonder if the developers have not heard or thought of the "Village" concept similar to the plan for Biltmore Park. That certainly would benefit the neighborhood! Enka/Candler could use a few restaurants and some interesting shopping, plus nicer "Village" apartments or condos that would relate to an area where possibly not using a car every day would be an option. Paper Bag Factory

My answer: This always reminds me of one of my favorite lines in college when I was having no luck with the ladies: "She wouldn't give me the time of day if her head were a clock." You're welcome. Youngsters, feel free to use it this weekend when you get shot down!

Real answer: This property has long been in the news, as it's large and has a great location near the intersection of Smokey Park Highway and Sand Hill Road in Enka.

Multiple proposals have come and gone, dating back to the Great Recession era. Most recently, the developers have proposed three industrial-use buildings near Enka Village, a site City Council previously approved for a 130,000 square-foot distribution center, long rumored to be a potential Amazon distribution site, although the company never confirmed that.

Way back in the day, plans called for a big-box store, a movie theater and more, but it looks like the plans have shifted more to industrial use.

Martin Lewis, one of the partners in the land ownership company, told me via email the plan is to keep the historic clock tower.

"Yes, we would like to see the clock tower stay as well," Lewis said. "On the most recent submittal to the city for the three buildings, the clock tower does remain."

American Enka erected the historic 139-foot tall clock tower in the late 1920s as it was building the sprawling fiber plant. Generations of workers spent careers at American Enka, which opened in 1928.

Chris Collins, Planning & Development Division manager with the city of Asheville, said the city does have an application on file for the new plans.

"The only active application the city is reviewing for this site right now is the 'Enka Commerce Park' conditional zoning application," Collins said. "The plan that is currently on file calls for three industrial buildings and does show the clock tower as being preserved on site."

American Enka, a Dutch firm, produced rayon, polyester and nylon at the site for decades, at its peak employing about 6,000 people. It also built the homes of Enka Village, which still stand.

The company sold the plant in 1985 to chemical giant BASF Corp., which stopped its nylon fiber production in 2005.

More:Enka clock tower will be preserved, planning meeting next up

Much of the American Enka/BASF plant was demolished, including two 200-foot tall smokestacks that were dynamited in 2007, drawing huge crowds of onlookers, many of whom had worked at the plant.

Coming back to 2022, the applicant's name for the new project is attached to a Samet Corp. email address. Samet is the company that built the Amazon distribution center in Mills River and was slated to build the one in Enka. But these plans do call for three buildings and don't seem to be attached to Amazon.

More:Enka clock tower may be demolished to accommodate large distribution center

The application states: "Design & construction of three speculative industrial buildings along with all necessary infrastructure and on-site stormwater management facilities."

"Speculative" refers to buildings that are constructed and then marketed for a tenant or buyer, as opposed to a project built for a specific tenant or owner. The proposed buildings comprise two structures that are each 224,640 square feet, and a third that's 136,080.

Back in June, Brian Hall, a president with Samet, told the Citizen Times that the buildings would be warehouse/distribution type structures, and that the clock tower will stay, and get needed repairs.

"We heard loud and clear how important that was in our first round, we’re doing that in this plan, that’s a very important part," Hall said in June.

You can find the most recent plans and the application on the city's planning website, here: https://simplicity.ashevillenc.gov/permits/22-04069PZ.

Question: I have been following the discussions by the Asheville City Council on the elimination of single-use plastic bags. On the six days that I go out to get my Citizen Times from my mailbox (I wish it were seven) the paper is always bagged in double plastic. Is that plastic perchance biodegradable plastic? If not, is the paper discussing an alternative that would eliminate the plastic covering?

My answer: Hey, I would like my paper wrapped in Boston crème doughnuts every morning, but that ain't going to happen, either. On a side note, doughnuts are biodegradable, right?

Real answer: I checked in with Lisa Angel, our distribution director, on this one. Looks like we're not switching to another type of bag right now, but...

"Our bags are recyclable," Angel said via email. "The supplier that Gannett uses works to ensure they are using resources responsibly and utilizing recycled material where possible, as well."

More:Answer Man: New I-26 rest stops mismarked? Recycling needs more frequency?

In a previous column, I noted you can take these bags to Ingles, where you drop off your plastic grocery bags, and they will get recycled.

By the way, kudos to my home delivery driver, who uses bags when it's raining but otherwise leaves the papers in the box, unadorned.

Christmas Gift Paper This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com