Asheville City Council preview: budget reports, and Brevard Road Ingles redevelopment

At its meeting on Tuesday, May 24, Asheville City Council will hear a report from its Finance Committee Chair, Councilman Bill Russell. The report deals with the proposed fiscal year 2012 budget. In a memo to the Mayor and Council Members, Russell said that the proposed budget includes no property tax increases, no fund balance appropriation from the General Fund, and no widespread reduction in positions.

Council will also hear a quarterly financial report for the third quarter of fiscal year 2011. The report says that through March 31, the City collected $71,719,635 in general fund revenue for the fiscal year, representing around 81 percent of the total general fund revenue budget. Expenditures through March 31 total $60,891,538, around 68.4 percent of the budget. That rate of expenditure is slightly lower than in prior years according to the report.

At its meeting, Council will also hold a pair of public hearings on the proposed redevelopment of the Ingles grocery store at 863 Brevard Road and its associated new signage. Ingles Markets Inc. has plans to demolish the current 53,500 square foot store and replace it with one nearly double the size, at just over 99,000 square feet. The new store would also include a 4,800 square foot gas canopy and retail kiosk. Ingles plans to demolish the current store in stages, leaving the store opened during the redevelopment.

The second public hearing deals with proposed signage for the new grocery story. Total proposed signage for the Ingles is 292 square feet, but under current city sign law Ingles would only be allowed 167 square feet. Ingles is asking Council for a special exception for the new store.

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