Now that the city of Asheville has agreed to play ball, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will consider joining the financial team for improvements to the home of the Asheville Tourists. The board meets Tuesday, March 21, to consider pitching in $250,000 annually over a 20-year period — a total commitment of $5 million […]
Local governments home in on McCormick Field deal
Financing begins to come together to shore up McCormick Field in order to meet MLB standards.
Workers tell city leaders about fear and frustration over downtown crime, violence
Violent and disturbing incidents downtown are leaving workers frustrated and frightened. One business owner at an Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce listening session asked the assembled crowd, “How many people have to get assaulted?”
County properties identified for affordable housing
Nearly 480 affordable housing units could be built on property owned by Buncombe County, according to a new analysis shared with the county Board of Commissioners.
Home-based child care may help with Buncombe needs
One potential way to close the child care gap, according to a recent report commissioned by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, would be to boost the number of home-based care providers. In Buncombe County, those facilities have decreased from 48 in 2006 to only 11 in 2022.
Asheville considers $4M for I-26 Connector aesthetics
This new funding, to be voted on by City Council during the regular meeting of Tuesday, Feb. 14, would come on top of more than $1.4 million the city has already budgeted for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along the I-26 corridor.
Area fitness centers emerge from COVID-related downturns
For many local gyms and workout facilities, which saw membership plummet in 2020 and 2021, things took a positive turn in 2022. Most say they are at or near pre-COVID numbers. But virtual offerings, outdoor exercise and smaller exercise classes introduced during the pandemic are likely to stick around.
Buncombe seeks more input on 20-year roadmap
Buncombe County’s Comprehensive Plan 2043, the draft of which was released in December, is now in the fourth and last phase of its development. County officials are seeking a final round of input from the community before the plan’s approval by the Planning Board and Board of Commissioners, currently slated for May.
Just Economics plans ‘two-tiered’ living wage system
Under the new system, similar to that employed by the national Living Wage For Us campaign, businesses could remain in the Living Wage Program if they agreed to an $18 hourly minimum wage and “committed annual increases” toward a $20.10 wage rate.
From Asheville Watchdog: What are the odds of a casino in Asheville?
North Carolina can support as many as nine Las Vegas-style casinos with gambling throughout the state, including one in the Asheville area, according to a report commissioned by the General Assembly.
Development roundup: P&Z approves new Enka Commerce Park plans
The new plans call for three buildings with a combined total of 585,360 square feet, as well as 463 parking spaces and truck loading docks. The project is tentatively scheduled to come before Asheville City Council for final approval on Tuesday, Jan. 24, where the public will be allowed to provide further input.
Green in brief: Conserving Carolina to expand Bracken Mountain Preserve
On Dec. 30, the nonprofit completed the purchase of 34 acres in Brevard to expand the preserve. The new land will bolster the existing 395-acre park, owned by the city of Brevard, which connects to the Pisgah National Forest.
Zack, Kilgore talk police recruitment at CIBO
Asheville Police Department Chief David Zack and Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore filled in the Asheville-based trade group Jan. 6 about the city’s recent efforts to address dozens of vacancies among the APD’s patrol staff.
Businesses put humor to work along Asheville’s ‘pun corridor’
One local transit corridor inspires daily grins — and groans — through its plethora of clever roadside signs and business names. Running roughly from Mostly Import Auto Repair on Biltmore Avenue to Thyme in the Garden on Weaverville Highway, this pun-sodden stretch is a welcome sight for wordplay fans and weary commuters alike.
Manheimer addresses county board on water outages
During the Jan. 3 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer fielded questions about the chain of events that left tens of thousands without water over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Buncombe prepares for trash collection fee increase
Waste Pro, Buncombe’s waste management contractor, will bump the rate it charges customers for trash pickup by $1.62 per month at the start of the year. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the company will also ask the county Board of Commissioners to authorize an additional rate hike of 39 cents per month in light of higher recyclable processing costs.
From CPP: The uncertain future of old-growth forests in North Carolina, part four
In part four, the last in the series, CPP reports on the objections and responses to the recent decision to harvest 26 acres that encompass an old growth patch of forest on a 3,500-foot mountaintop — the Southside Project.
Year in Review: Development and tourism remain hot topics
Community members weigh in on the impact of visitors and “progress” throughout 2022.
What’s new in food: Crust Never Sleeps bakery opens on Sardis Road
Jonathan Price and Dawn Alexander celebrate the launch of Crust Never Sleeps bakery. Also: Shiloh & Gaines launches on Hendersonville Road; Asheville Drag Brunch closes out the year with two shows; and plenty more!
Beyond white squirrels: Specialty shops abound in Brevard
“Brevard has a uniqueness and a whole different vibe than existed 10 years ago in a really cool way,” says Dee Dee Perkins, owner of the outdoor supplies and gear shop D.D. Bullwinkel’s. She credits new breweries and Transylvania County Tourism’s focus on mountain biking.
G5 Trail Collective opens first phase of planned network
The first part of the Old Fort Trails Project, aptly named the Old Fort Gateway Trails, features six miles of accessible trails off of Curtis Creek Road in the McDowell County town. Another 36 miles of hiking, biking and horse paths are planned for construction through 2027.