Asheville City Council preview: A river runs through

In their first meeting of the new year, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Asheville City Council turns its attention to the River Arts District: Council members will vote on the first step of an ambitious infrastructure-improvement project and an overhaul of the way development in the area is reviewed.

One of those items is the $2.2 million RADTIP project, which “will construct roadway improvements, sidewalks, bike lanes and greenways along Lyman Street and part of Riverside Drive adjacent to the French Broad River.” This was part of Council members’ list of “aspirational projects,” for which they passed a tax increase last year to fund, and these funds will go to “detailed surveying, soil testing, streetscape plans, bridge and culvert design, utility relocation plans, and additional public involvement,” according to a staff report accompanying the agenda.

Also on the RAD front is a major change in how development in the area is reviewed, merging the riverfront design committee into the redevelopment commission and assigning that group the ability to review all projects in a set area around the district.

Council will also vote on creating a joint City-County African American Heritage Commission and rezoning properties in Kenilworth to allow for residential development.

Asheville City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, on the second floor of City Hall. A 3:30 p.m. work session on the upcoming state legislative agenda has been cancelled.

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.

2 thoughts on “Asheville City Council preview: A river runs through

  1. Jonathan Wainscott

    $2.2M on plans. The eventual implementation of RADTIP will be over $30Mfrom federal grants (NC is really popopular in DC), state funding (Asheville is really popular in Raleigh) and borrowing. This of course will pass without a dissenting vote.

  2. indy499

    Silly to be adding sidewalks in the RAD, when downtown doesn’t have adequate sidewalks. Try to navigate downtown in a wheel chair—bad curbs, cracked/crumbling sidewalks, power poles in the middle of the sidewalk, etc. What a disgrace.

    The Council obviously in love with the RAD. Why? Who is getting paid back/off?

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.