PARC plans rally at master plan meeting

Asheville’s city-hosted Downtown Master Plan series begins Thursday at 6 p.m., but activists are planning to precede its kick-off with a rally protesting a possible hotel across the street.

People Advocating Real Conservancy, previously known for contesting Asheville’s sale of the air above public sidewalks and as a central player in the Save Our Slopes movement, is planing the rally for 5:30 p.m. in front of the Asheville Civic Center.

The proposed hotel comes as part of the city’s request for ideas for uses of city-owned property, but PARC says the site, in front of the Basilica of St. Lawrence, would make a better location for a park (a rendition of what that might look like is pictured).

The master plan meeting will take place in the Civic Center’s Banquet Hall and will be followed by a meeting of the Downtown Master Plan Advisory Committee at noon on Friday at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 47 Eagle St. That meeting is also open to the public.

Brian Postelle, staff writer

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5 thoughts on “PARC plans rally at master plan meeting

  1. lokel

    These PARC people amuse me …. I am all for green space, but most of the green space we currently have is “enjoyed” by a small fraction of the citizens because of the “undesirable elements” that frequent the parks … aston park = drugs and prostitution, pritchard park = drugs, alcohol, the homeless, garden variety riff-raff and the sweet smell of urine, and the new Pack Square Park (if ever finished)will undoubtedly attract the same.

    So who exactly does PARC think will be “parking” in the newly proposed green space?

  2. Sounds like this’ll make for a interesting kick-off. I applaud the PARC citizens & others for representing their needs and desires, and what a perfect opportunity to do so. Hopefully this will have an effect on both City Council and the Master Plan process.

    I still concur with Councilwoman Cape in questioning why we are moving forward with massive downtown developments when we are in the process of trying to plan out said developments? It’d make sense to just hold off on new developments until after the citizen’s get their say in the Master Plan process. A summer without new downtown developments will not sink our city.

    I look forward to tonight and whatever it may bring…

  3. nuvue

    What happened at the meeting? Did a constructive dialogue take place?
    Hopefully this economic downturn will give the county time to catch their collective breath and come up with some meaningful guidelines.

  4. nuvue

    I meant to say also that I was hoping for a online article about the meeting by the Xpress, where else online is the meeting written about?

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