Residents of the Monticello mobile home park on Cooper Boulevard in West Asheville faced eviction a year ago when Wal-Mart revealed plans for a SuperCenter on Smokey Park Highway. In the face of stiff community opposition, the retail giant dropped plans and trailer owners breathed a sigh of relief. (See, Interpreting the rules, March 8, 2006, Xpress.)
Rumored plans for the property raised new concern in recent months and were confirmed when residents received eviction notices March 31 giving them until July 31 to relocate. Moving trailers involves a triple whammy: Available space is at a premium, pre-1976 units cannot be relocated in Buncombe County and, finally, there’s the expense of moving each unit — an estimated $3,000.
Although the residents have formally requested assistance during the sell/buy of the land from the owners of the property, there is no guarantee that this will happen. A group of community activists has been working to garner help for the displaced residents, and a rummage sale is being held Saturday, April 14. The Emma Family Resource Center is collecting donations for the sale and seeking any sort of saleable item, baked goods or drinks to, napkins, cups, and anything that might help them raise money.
For more information or to make a contribution, call the center at 252-4810. Checks can be made payable to the Cooper Boulevard Support Network and mailed to or dropped off at Emma Family Resource Center, 37 Brickyard Road, Asheville, NC 28806.
— Cecil Bothwell, staff writer
FLASHBACK
The High Cost of Low Motives
By Tim Peck
Mountain Guardian
April 28, 2006
[…] Re-enter the Cooper Boulevard Community Support Network. Now here’s a group that knows how to keep its eyes on the prize. With the Wal-Mart project defeated (with their help) and the trailer park residents still facing eviction by the next evil developer, this support network sprang into action once again to champion social justice…
http://www.mountainguardian.com/2006-05/a-walmart.htm
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FLASHBACK
Public Comment
Asheville City Council
April 22, 2006
Tim Peck on Wal-Mart
“I’m sorry that Wal-Mart felt compelled to withdraw their application. I feel sorry for the under-employed poor people of Asheville who desparately need jobs. I am one of them. And I feel especially sorry for the poor trailer park residents who were offered $7,500 to defray their moving expenses. Now, when that property is sold to the next buyer, they will likely get nothing from that buyer. When the time comes for them to move, and it will, they can look back to today and remember who is responsible for their hardship: The anti-Wal-Mart activists from Asheville — and students from Warren Wilson College. One of whom, I know, is graduating next month and is moving to San Francisco.”
http://timpeck.blogspot.com/2006/04/city-council.html
Video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2768518442733950501