Downtown Master Plan action committee activated

During the two years it took to draw up the Downtown Master Plan, adopted by Asheville City Council in May, skeptics frequently invoked the specter of other city plans gathering dust on some literal or figurative shelf. That, says project manager Sasha Vrtunski, will not be the fate of the DMP.

"We don't want to hear that ever about this plan, that it sat on a shelf," she said on Monday, Nov. 9, at the first meeting of the Downtown Master Plan Action Committee. The committee, which met in the meeting room on the ground floor of the Asheville Art Museum, is charged with monitoring the implementation of recommendations made in the draft plan. Its 50 or so members have been divided into five subcommittees that will focus on urban design, transportation, historic preservation, arts and culture, and downtown management.

Many of them were involved with developing the DMP in some way. Some served on the Downtown Master Plan Advisory Committee or on other city boards and commissions. Others are property or business owners or stakeholders in the city's arts community. A few were frequent critics of the direction parts of the plan were taking.

"What has come out of this process is going to be a great framework for developers to use," said committee chair Jesse Plaster, who also serves on the Downtown Commission.

Much time was spent with personal introductions and with establishing subcommittee meeting times. The frequency of meetings will depend on each topic, Vrtunski said. For instance, urban design issues are expected to come up quickly, and that subcommittee has already begun to meet.

Vrtunski also outlined subcommittee responsibilities and the chain of command: the subcommittees report to the larger action committee, which reports to the Downtown Commission, which makes recommendations to Asheville City Council for a final vote.

Committee members were urged to stick to the draft plan recommendations and resist the temptation to insert their own policies. "It's going to be very easy for us to take off in different directions," said restaurateur Dwight Butner. "But that is not what we are here to do."

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.

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.

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.