Hundreds of Woodfin’s west-side residents seek to de-annex from the town

The new de-annexation movement is led by Chip Parton, who was in middle school when the west side was annexed in 2006. He says he wasn’t really paying attention to issues with the town until five or six years ago, when he realized town rules prevented him from putting a single-wide trailer on his parents’ property to live in while he waited to inherit a family home.

Bids for main parts of I-26 Connector project come in hundreds of millions of dollars above projected cost

The bids were for the two main sections of the project, which the NCDOT calls Section B and Section D. These sections will involve new bridges over the French Broad River and new sections of interstate to connect Interstate 26 above and below Asheville, as well as improvements to Riverside Drive.

BCSO returns downtown without formal partnershi­p with APD

Inspired by a September letter from downtown businesses, which spurred numerous meetings between business owners and county leaders, Sheriff Quentin Miller deputized Chief Deputy Herbert Blake to put together a proposal to return deputies downtown on weekend nights. Patrols started Jan. 26, and are currently scheduled to run through June on Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.

Downtown residents talk about the pros and cons of urban living

The perspective of what it’s like downtown has been a bit of a roller coaster lately, with some lauding the plethora of local breweries, restaurants and local shops and others lamenting rising crime and affordability. Xpress spoke with four downtown residents to get a snapshot of the benefits and drawbacks of living in the core of Asheville, as well as their outlook for the future.