Wailin’ on Whalen

J. Patrick Whalen’s commentary [“Grow Up or Grow Out,” Oct. 10] held no surprises. What would you expect someone to say about The Ellington when his company stands to make a huge windfall on the property sale alone? No, all the rhetoric was there that we have come to expect—the point-by-point refutation of the opposition, the description of his ideal Asheville, all the good things that will come from this monstrosity being built. Yep, nothing unusual here.

Truth of the matter: The Ellington is most definitely ill-sized for its placement. Anyone who has looked at a scale rendering, be it two- or three-dimensional, would be hard-pressed to say it fits in with its surrounding neighborhood. It completely dwarfs everything. This is common knowledge to anyone who doesn’t wear “developer goggles,” which render all space fair game and all projects as must-dos and beneficial for the community. Yes, we need infill, and yes, we need to grow up, not out. But when do you stop sacrificing your integrity and sense of right and wrong for the obvious financial payoff? When do you say that the money isn’t all that important, that the public good trumps that argument?

Many times, “Public Interest” is best served by building nothing, and putting time and energy into fixing and improving what we already have. And this is what Public Interest Projects largely did for the first dozen or so years of its existence. This was also when its founder and spiritual leader, Julian Price, was alive and significantly involved. His role in the development of downtown was integral and indispensable. Resting on his laurels [and] accomplishments clouds whatever PIP’s mission statement may currently be, but I would bet that Mr. Price, rest his soul, would be at odds with it—philosophically, if nothing else.

But then, I never met Mr. Price, though I had often wanted to, as he made possible the Asheville that I encountered when I moved here 12 years ago. As such, I cannot speak authoritatively on what he may or may not have envisioned for Asheville’s future. It just seems to me that we are much poorer and at greater risk without him at the helm of PIP. Mr. Whalen needs to check in with his “inner-Julian” and ask if this is actually a private interest project.

City Council is far too eager to sell off this town to the first person to wave money under their nose and promise a token contribution for “affordable” housing (anyone else laughing here?). They still haven’t grasped the fact [that] there are more people with money that want a piece of Asheville than there are places to build. We do not need to give in to anyone; we can name our terms, our price for those folks who want to do business. They aren’t going away, and we maintain a ridiculous level of attraction to thousands of people. After all, we still have water—until we develop ourselves into a deeper drought. But that is another issue, another letter.

— Rick Melby
Asheville

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 Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

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.

One thought on “Wailin’ on Whalen

  1. Unit

    Amazing that people like Mr. Melby choose to obsess themselves with this project, which admittedly will have a large impact, but ignore the gated communities, sprawling subdivisions, and uninterrupted mats of strip mall hell extending incessantly up the hillsides and down the valleys. If we want to talk about protecting our resources, our water, our vistas, and our health, objecting to this project doesn’t help. In fact, it probably hurts, as it encourages developers to sprawl – who can blame them when the local wingnuts rise up against development within the city? Mr. Whalen is a wholly honorable man, working to strengthen this community. I’d like to know what you have done to strengthen this community, Mr. Melby.

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.