Asheville City Council approves capital improvements, Housing Trust Funds and renovation of ART Transit Station

Press releases from the City of Asheville:

Asheville City Council clears the way for ART Station renovation to begin
Earlier this year, the City of Asheville announced a two-phase ART Transit Station improvement project. The first phase, completed in the first half of the year, replaced the stormwater drainage system in the bus travel lanes and sidewalk. The next phase, renovation of the ART Station itself, is about to begin!
At their July 23 meeting, City Council authorized a budget amendment of $1.08 million to fund the second phase of the ART Transit Facility Renovation Project. Funding includes $214,000 from the Federal Transportation Administration and the rest comes from the City’s assigned  fund balance.

The project is now expected to get under way in a few weeks and last through the end of the year, possibly into winter 2020.

The renovation will improve the passenger experience by renovating the passenger waiting area and bathrooms, updating digital displays, and updating the lighting. Of note, this phase of the project will also incorporate the installation of solar panels on the ART Station passenger canopy, making this the City of Asheville’s first fully renewable energy project.

The City will make every effort to mitigate impacts to our valued riders and the buses will run as scheduled. As with the first phase of the project riders will, at times, need to be loaded onto buses on Asheland Avenue.

We appreciate your patience — and especially your ridership — while we make these important upgrades and renovations to the ART Bus Station.

Here is a link to the staff report presented to Council prior to their vote.

 

City Council approves Housing Trust Fund allocations that add affordable housing units 

Housing Trust Fund allocations approved July 23 by Asheville City Council will support the addition of affordable housing units in our community.

The allocations were made through the City’s Housing Trust Fund to support three projects. All three projects serve individuals and families with incomes under 60% of the Area Median Income. The Median household income of an Asheville family for four is estimated to be $66,000 a year.

The projects include:

·         A $530,000 Housing Trust Fund loan agreement with Homeward Bound to acquire and rehabilitate a multi-family property at 296 Short Michigan Ave. Situated on an acre, there are five buildings on the property that, between them, contain 8 one-bedroom apartments and 3 two-bedroom units. Together they will provide permanent supporting housing as a strategy for Homeward Bound to provide more direct and efficient service to their clients. Homeward Bound is an Asheville nonprofit focused on service for people experiencing homelessness. Find more details about this project in the staff report presented to Council.

·         Housing Trust Fund loan modification to Swannanoa Bend for an affordable development at 43 Simpson St., between Tunnel Road and Biltmore Village. The original plan for a 60-unit project had been expanded to 70 units. HomeTrust Bank is financing the project with a $3.5 million loan. Buncombe County has contributed $262,000. The City originally allocated $300,000 in 2016 to this project, with an additional $350,000 in 2017 to move the project from 60 to 70 units. On July 23, Council approved the request for an additional $650,000 in a Housing Trust Fund loan to cover increasing costs. The combined $1.3 million is to be paid back to the City over 20 years at a 2% interest. Find more details about the project in the staff report presented to Council.

·         Housing Trust Fund loan modification to Amaranth Apartments by Workforce Homestead for development of a 70-unit affordable housing property at 1 Brookside Circle. Situated in the Candler community, this property located adjacent to Smoky Park Highway is within the Asheville city limits. While the project is designed for families with incomes under 60% of the Area Median Income it will also contain 18 apartments set aside for households at or below 30% AMI. This project will receive a $1.2 million Housing Trust Fund loan as part of the total $10.8 million development cost. Find more details about this project in the staff report presented to Council.

By supporting these allocations, 151 new affordable apartments will be made available to individuals and families making under 60% AMI. At least 11 units are for homeless households.

This supports Council’s stated goal in its Vision 2036 of being a city that incorporates quality affordable housing choices for people at all economic levels and stages of life.

Find out more about the City’s Housing Trust Fund at this link.

 

City Council invests in our community through capital improvement and bond project funding approval

Bond and capital projects approved by City Council Tuesday reflect an array investments the City is making to provide for  a more pedestrian-safe community. They also incorporate a parks bond project, one of many park projects under way as part of the bond program that enrich our quality of life.

Under the consent agenda, Council approved:

·         $498,740 for the Wood Avenue Neighborhood Sidewalk project, which will provide improved connectivity and accessibility for the neighborhoods southeast of the Asheville Mall area. The project calls for installation of a new 6-foot sidewalk on the westside of Wood Avenue that will provide connectivity to a transit stop. This aligns with the City’s pedestrian plan. This project will also be ADA compliant.
·         Two partnership projects between the City and NCDOT. One is for a shared cost of installation of a sidewalk along the south side of Long Shoals Road in conjunction with NCDOT’s I-26 widening project in that area. Though approved now, the project is expected to be completed between Fiscal Year 2022-2023 or Fiscal Year 2023-2024. The other is for pedestrian crosswalks at three traffic signals along Airport Road from Hendersonville Road to the western end of Walmart at 60 Airport Road. This work is scheduled for summer of 2020.
·         $305,662 for a Richmond Hill Park restroom facility and a picnic shelter, as part of the bond program. Popular with disc golfers and dog walkers, this park currently lacks such facilities. These upgrades will improve the park experience for all users. The new facilities are being installed in response to resident input regarding desired park improvements.

These are a few examples of the investments the City of Asheville is making to enhance the quality of life for our residents and provide for a safer community for pedestrians. The City’s Capital Projects and Bond Program are used to fund these enhancements.

Here are links to the four consent agenda items, which include staff reports that go into these projects in more detail:
Item B – Bond park project
Item D – Sidewalk, to include partnership with NCDOT
Item E – Pedestrian signal, to include partnership with NCDOT
Item L – Sidewalk, part of the Neighborhood Sidewalk Program