Buncombe Commissioners to consider Moogfest incentives

At their Feb. 18 meeting, Buncombe County Commissioners will consider a $90,000 incentive package for Moogfest. The music and innovation festival is requesting $50,000 in donated services and $40,000 in cash from the county to help produce the event, which will run April 23-27 at venues across Asheville.

The proposal mirrors a similar deal approved by the city of Asheville last week. Officials with Moog Music are touting the festival as an economic development boon, projecting it will have a $30 million impact on the area. However, the city’s deal drew criticism from Council member Gwen Wisler and others who didn’t feel it was right to provide public funding for a private event.

Tickets for Moogfest range from $199 to $299, though some discounted tickets were offered to locals and an allotment of free tickets were distributed as “scholarships” to local educational institutions. Some associated events, such as a technology job fair, will be open to the public free of charge.

If the county approves the request, it will bring the total public economic incentives for the festival to $180,000.

In other business, commissioners will consider tweaks to the county’s zoning ordinance concerning the setbacks between new buildings and public utilities.

A controversial rezoning request to allow a major new mixed use development in Riceville was withdrawn and will not be considered Feb. 18 as planned. Instead, commissioners will consider rezoning small parcels of land in Bent Creek and Woodfin to allow more development.

The board will meet at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the commissioner’s chambers, located at 200 College Street, suite 326. A short pre-meeting review of the agenda will begin at 4:15 p.m.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.