Despite relatively restrictive ordinances prohibiting the rental of entire houses for stays of less than 30 days — and a $500-per-day fine for violators — hundreds of illegal rentals still operate throughout the city of Asheville.
Double tap: Home style on Instagram
As part of our Home Style Issue, we scrolled through Instagram looking for local handles that focus on home decor and design. Below are some of the highlights we discovered.
Finding a home in Asheville’s distinctive neighborhoods
“Many people come in and have an idea of what kind of house they want: an older home like a Victorian or Arts and Crafts, a bungalow, a ranch, midcentury modern, a fixer-upper, a new green build,” says Stephanie Cochran, a broker with Mosaic Realty. “In many towns that pinpoints the area where you will look. But in Asheville, so many neighborhoods have a mix of many if not all of those.”
About Face
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
E-coli Family Vacation
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
News Briefs: Buncombe maintains state’s lowest unemployment, bat fungus spotted in Madison County
Buncombe did see its unemployment tick up from the 2.8% April rate; the May rate was also higher than the 2.8% reported for the same month last year. However, the Department of Commerce noted that all of the state’s other metro areas also saw rate increases, and the Asheville metro area actually added about 1,900 nonfarm jobs in May.
ICE detainer mandate on docket for July 16 Commission meeting
The four Democratic board members — Chair Brownie Newman, Vice Chair Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Commissioners Amanda Edwards and Al Whitesides — have all signed letters asking state officials to withhold their support from the proposal. In February, Democratic Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller announced that his office would no longer honor ICE detainers.
Prepare to Merge
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Buncombe County faces a lack of affordable, accessible child care
While more than 1,500 Buncombe children received care through state-funded vouchers that reduce the costs for working parents, hundreds remain on the waiting list for assistance.
Biz briefs: Employment, home prices and visitor numbers all trending upward
Asheville metro manufacturing employment grew by 1,400 jobs in the fourth quarter, the sector’s strongest performance in over two decades. Buncombe unemployment continued to be the lowest in the state, but area wages trailed state and national averages.
Budding hemp industry holds its breath over potential flower ban
In late May, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation proposed banning all smokable hemp flower, in addition to more stringent regulation of hemp processing and a host of other precautions. Those changes are now under consideration in the General Assembly, where they could be enacted as part of the N.C. Farm Act of 2019.
Flatiron hotel conversion clears Council in 4-3 vote
At Asheville City Council’s June 25 meeting, Council member Julie Mayfield flipped on her previous opposition to the project, joining Mayor Esther Manheimer, Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler and Vijay Kapoor to complete a majority vote that allowed the rezoning of the historic building for hotel use.
Take the Money and Run
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
News Briefs: New police chief, updated Flatiron proposal
Updated Flatiron proposal to return to City Council Developer Philip Woollcott and building owner Russell Thomas will make another appearance in front of Asheville City Council members on Tuesday, June 25, to gain approval for an updated version of the Flatiron Building project. The original plan would have converted the building into an 80-room boutique […]
TDA holds first Community Leadership Council meeting
The first meeting of the Community Leadership Council — convened by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority — provided a new forum for familiar kudos and criticisms of the area’s tourism industry. Nearly 40 invited community members, including elected officials, municipal staffers, nonprofit employees and business folk, accepted the TDA’s request to participate in the […]
Council once again seeks to develop city-owned property into affordable housing
Asheville City Council has once again revised a proposal to sell city-owned property at 360 Hilliard Avenue for development as affordable mixed-income housing. Council will vote on whether to repeal and replace an existing agreement with Kassinger Development Group during its meeting Tuesday, June 11. A 2016 press release from the city notes that a […]
Exploit Asheville Conventions and Visitors Bureau
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
The Collider shifts leadership, seeks path to financial sustainability
The Collider announced that Claire Callen, owner of the Wells Fargo Building, will join the nonprofit’s board as president and assume all responsibility for daily operation of the organization.
Running on Empty
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
2020 TDA budget approaches $20 million mark
As annual hotel occupancy tax revenues approach $20 million, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority on May 29 considered how to divide that increasingly juicy pie to continue to drive tourism to the area.
Civic Center naming rights on May 28 Council agenda
The choice between U.S. Cellular and Harrah’s, the brand of two casinos owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will determine the logo that will grace the Civic Center’s signs, pole banners, receipts and event advertising for the next several years once the current agreement with U.S. Cellular expires on Tuesday, Dec. 31.