Asheville City Council preview: extending downtown, and monitoring transit

Asheville City Council has a light agenda for its meeting tonight, with the only public hearing concerning extending downtown zoning. However, the consent agenda includes meatier items than usual, like $450,000 (mostly from the state) for a new public transportation monitoring system, and $380,000 for a new sidewalk project in South Asheville.

The only public hearing concerns extending downtown’s zoning to the Keller Williams Realty building on Asheland Avenue. The request would allow taller, denser development without the necessity of a parking requirement, though city staff’s report on the change doesn’t mention any upcoming development on the site.

While consent agenda usually includes routine items, the city is considering using $450,000 for a new system that would track “vehicle location, speed, fuel usage, on-time performance, and historical records” as well as making much of the information available to riders’ phones. Most of the project ($405,000) is state grant funds, and the city’s also using state matching funds to purchase two new diesel buses.

It’s not the only infrastructure item on the consent agenda, either, as there’s $308,000 in funds for sidewalks along Overlook Road in South Asheville.

Asheville City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, on the second floor of City Hall.

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.

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.