Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission narrowly voted to approve the proposed zoning amendment in a 4-3 vote Sept. 1. If the change is approved, they will hold a subsequent public hearing to consider rezoning several properties totalling 122 acres to the new district
Without providing specifics, Moore said that the budget this year will include both tax relief and historic spending through the use of federal dollars.
Being a queen is more than just wearing a crown. According to Jasmine Summers, who won the top honor during the 2019 Miss Blue Ridge Pride Pageant, it’s about honing her craft, competing with grace and being a role model to fellow queens and Asheville’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. The pageant coincides with […]
More than 180 guests attended the event at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
Joneric Bruner and his father, John, are at the heart of Marion’s beloved WNC Bigfoot Festival.
Starting Friday, Sept. 24, local organizations can submit projects in the following categories for grants from the federal funds: affordable housing, care for aging residents, climate change, city infrastructure, domestic violence prevention and assistance, food systems, homelessness services, public engagement, revenue losses, small business recovery and workforce development.
Four hotel projects, sized between five and 115 rooms, are still waiting for review under the new standards.
Janice Brumit, Dogwood’s board chair, said the nonprofit is on track to invest $65 million in housing, education, economic opportunity and health and wellness by the end of 2021.
Suppose you’re trying to cross a busy intersection: Most of us simply approach the crosswalk, push the button and wait till the signal says it’s safe. Now imagine what it would be like to tackle that same task from a wheelchair. What if the button is just out of reach? Or if there’s not enough […]
The N.C. General Assembly must take census results into account as members create new voting district boundaries that reflect the state’s population growth and follow strict legal criteria. Western North Carolina’s state Senate and U.S. House districts are both likely to see changes for the 2022 election cycle.
Of recipients of grants from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund who responded to a recent survey, 97% were open as of June 30. Nine respondents were closed at the end of June, including five which had closed permanently.
The office finds itself without any permanent staff and has no public process for hiring new employees. The vacancies come after a wave of resignations, as well as public criticism from former employees and elected leaders about a lack of support and accountability for equity work.
The approval allows the existing Four Points by Sheraton hotel to more than quintuple its current size with a mix of uses including apartments, condominiums, extended stay hotel rooms, parking and ground-level commercial space.
Asheville Police Chief David Zack suggested that crime rates were beginning to stabilize as APD learns to cope with its staffing deficiencies. Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards, however, said Asheville’s crime and policing issues were more extensive and distressing than the chief had described.
The vote on the proposed $9.75 million emergency shelter project was delayed so that members of Council have more time to review the proposal and understand community concerns.
While each of the speakers at the meeting commended city leaders for taking steps to help Asheville’s homeless residents, some who were also residents at nearby apartment complexes voiced concern about the proposed shelter’s location.
Unlike Asheville and Buncombe County governments, which ended the practice of live remote comment after their return to in-person meetings, the BCTDA will continue to allow members of the public to call into live meetings to comment — an option that was not offered before the pandemic.
Highest on city staff’s list of potential funding priorities were affordable housing, public engagement, homelessness, public and mental health, small business recovery and workforce development.
The new rules will take effect Wednesday, Sept. 15.
In Asheville and Buncombe County, the return to in-person government meetings has also meant a return to in-person public comment — and the end of live remote comment, despite there being no technological obstacle to continuing the practice. The decision has drawn concern from citizens who say it reduces their ability for civic participation.
It’s no secret that officers are quitting the Asheville Police Department in droves, but what’s less certain is why officers are leaving. Xpress reached out to more than 50 former APD officers about their resignations. Only two agreed to share their thoughts, both under the condition of anonymity out of fear of professional consequences at their new jobs.
