What is Asheville City Council discussing at its next meeting? What isn’t it discussing might be an easier question to answer.
Traffic islands for Maxwell Street? Bike lanes for other city streets? These questions and more at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Consider these recent hits and golden oldies:
* Public hearings to consider condominiums, lofts and mixed-use developments on Short Michigan Avenue, Pacoda Street and Ravenscroft Drive.
* The next stage in developments on city-owned property, including a 10-story mixed-use development at Eagle/Market streets and a nine-story hotel on Haywood Street.
* The possible implementation of new bike lanes as the first part of the city’s Comprehensive Bike Plan.
* Traffic-control islands to prevent trucks from using Maxwell Street behind Greenlife Grocery.
* And the consideration of city funding for Pritchard Park performances.
See the complete agenda online, and check out the April 30 issue of Xpress for the nitty-gritty.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
I’ve reviewed the plans of City Council for the sale of city-owned properties. While the Eagle Street plan, although perhaps too adjacent to the proposed and, perhaps illegal, “Parkside” condo project may merit worth, the proposed hotel project for Haywood Street is beyond imagining. It is awful that Asheville’s own City Council could consider such a horrid garage/hotel project in the shadow of a basilica, just as (and they know it)) Asheville is becoming known as such an incredibly special locale.
The real kicker here though may be that apparently, if Council approves these developments, then there will be no clearance or vetting necessary from either the Downtown Commission, the Technical Review Committee, or the Planning and Zoning Commission. Is that correct?