Asheville City Council preview: turning down the lights

Initially, next week’s upcoming Asheville City Council meeting, on Jan. 28, promised a showdown over a controversial development near downtown. With that matter withdrawn, however, the remaining items on the agenda are changes to the city’s rules to encourage less light pollution and modifications to development guidelines to bring them in line with new state laws.

Originally, next Tuesday’s meeting included Council’s vote on a 16-unit East Chestnut Street housing development that had become a flashpoint for the debate over the balance between the competing needs for density near the downtown core and neighborhood preservation. However, on Monday the developer withdrew the project, citing neighborhood opposition and problems with the city’s development process.

That leaves the major item on the agenda a change to the city’s lighting ordinance to better fall in line with its “dark skies” initiative; reducing glare as well as moving away from older lights and towards new ones that are more energy efficient.

Council will also take up modifications to its development and Board of Adjustment rules necessitated by changes in state laws last year.

Asheville City Council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, on the second floor of City Hall.

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One thought on “Asheville City Council preview: turning down the lights

  1. Jonathan Wainscott

    I wish the city would look at its own performance when it comes to light pollution. I’m glad we replaced the old street lights with higher efficiency LED’s, but they were all installed in the day, with no regard to night time performance. Of course City Council will pat themselves on the back for passin’ a new ordinance, and it is one I agree with, but for the love of God or whatever post-theist guiding entity Cecil answers to, could the City, once, just once, lead by example. It’s like John Belushi after a 3 day bender coming up to you and telling you to tuck your shirt in. Will the City evaluate its own performance? Nope.

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