The Basilica can take it

Posted on by Steve Woolum

Good grief. There is barely a plan before the city for the land acquired near the Basilica, and already the voices of doom are howling.

If the Basilica was so keen for a park, then why, with the education building torn down, was an ugly surface lot put there instead of a green space? Oh wait, since it's church property, it would not have to be maintained by the taxpayers.

Let's get real: Benches were removed nearby from the library for a very specific reason. Does anyone really think this problem would not immediately manifest itself in an adjacent park? I bet neither the Basilica nor the other naysayers want to be responsible for that. We have a "park ranger" in the postage-stamp-sized Pritchard Park. Would we need another one or would she be forced to run back and forth to keep order between the two?

As for the tired old argument concerning potential damage to the Basilica: Somehow it managed to survive the demolition of the old Battery Park and leveling of the hill to make way for the new Battery Park, I-240 and the Civic Center. It should be just fine with some reasonable development on this city-asset property.

—  Steve Woolum
Asheville

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One thought on “The Basilica can take it”

  1. LOKEL

    I think it is a hoot that the “Church” is so worried about what’s going on across the street when they clearly have their own internal issues to deal with….

    the Diocese is facing at least 2 lawsuits regarding child molestation at 2 different churches in Asheville.

    Look at it this way, the priests will be able to get a hotel room now, instead of molesting little boys in the rectory.

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