Twitter roundup: Dispatches from the Planning & Zoning interviews

Before this evening’s regular City Council meeting, members interviewed nine candidates for three open seats on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Recent changes in city ordinances give the commission more power over development, and Council correspondingly decided to change the interview process to make it more public.

Here’s a roundup of Twitter dispatches from the interviews, as sent out by Xpress reporter @JakeFrankel (with a bit of help from @_tatuaje_ and @Avlpetsitter).

Council members plan to vote on the candidates later this evening, Aug. 23. Xpress also invites readers to weigh in on who they would choose, using our online poll.

Dispatches via Twitter:

JakeFrankel I’m headed to City Hall at 1:30 to cover City Council’s interviews for the Planning and Zoning Commission. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:08 pm

JakeFrankel They’ll conduct interviews with 9 applicants vying for appointments to the board. There’s 3 open seats. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:09 pm

JakeFrankel Recent changes in city ordinances have given the commission more power over development. More info: http://t.co/GeWaerT #avlgov Aug. 23 1:11 pm

JakeFrankel Who would you like to see on the board? Tell us in our poll (we have more info on the applicants as well): http://t.co/WY0KYDA #avlgov Aug. 23 1:13 pm

Abigail Emison

JakeFrankel Planner Abigail Emison is the first applicant to be interviewed, she says she “really wants to give back to my city.” #avlgov Aug. 23 1:40 pm

JakeFrankel Bothwell asks her how many P&Z meetings she’s attended. She says none, but that she’s very familiar with process. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:41 pm

JakeFrankel She says her specialty is in transit planning. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:42 pm

JakeFrankel Newman reports that Russell (@blueridgebilly) is absent, but says he asked applicants any questions he had before the meeting. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:44 pm

JakeFrankel Newman: Russell will be here for the regular meeting later today and the board plans to vote on appointees at that time. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:45 pm

Jeremy H. Goldstein

JakeFrankel Next up, commercial real estate developer Jeremy H. Goldstein. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:50 pm

JakeFrankel Goldstein says his experience as a developer gives him an “intimate experience with the government process” #avlgov Aug. 23 1:51 pm

JakeFrankel Mayor Bellamy: how do you see your role as interpreter of UDO? #avlgov Aug. 23 1:53 pm

JakeFrankel Goldstein: I would be level-headed and fair, I would recuse myself from voting on any projects I have a business interest in. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:54 pm

JakeFrankel Goldstein says he’s in favor of dense downtown development. Smith asks him if any recent developments have been “out of scale” #avlgov Aug. 23 1:58 pm

JakeFrankel Goldstein: No, he supports the Indigo Hotel and all other recent larger downtown developments. #avlgov Aug. 23 1:59 pm

mxnews RT @_tatuaje_: Jeez, now the damn P & Z interviews have been drowned by same earthquake tweets over & over #avlgov #avlnews Aug. 23 1:59 pm

JakeFrankel Newman: Are there any policy changes you’d recommend? #avlgov Aug. 23 2:01 pm

JakeFrankel Goldstein: I’d like to see denser development on existing commercial corridors such as Merrimon, Patton Aves. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:02 pm

JakeFrankel An earthquake happened? Really? No one here at the P&Z interviews seemed to notice… #avlgov Aug. 23 2:07 pm

JakeFrankel MT @avlpetsitter: Bothwell brings up that Staples was allowed variances to UDO. Bellamy says something like “Let’s not go there” #avlgov Aug. 23 2:10 pm

Bruce Greene

JakeFrankel Now up, real estate developer Bruce Greene: “Neighborhoods don’t like change. .Sometimes you just have to move forward anyway. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:12 pm

JakeFrankel Greene: We need affordable housing. This is one of the most expensive areas in the state. I’ve invested in many housing projects. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:14 pm

JakeFrankel RT @avlpetsitter: Greene “wrastled with” Larchmont. Eventually ended up being in favor of it. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:15 pm

JakeFrankel RT @avlpetsitter: Greene says he has 10 or 12 units in #avl, maybe a few more. “a few in the county that are not in the city” #avlgov Aug. 23 2:18 pm

JakeFrankel RT @_tatuaje_: Manheimer: Conflict of interest? How many properties do you own? Greene:  10 or 12 or maybe a few more in #avl #avlgov Aug. 23 2:19 pm

JakeFrankel Newman acknowledges that there was an earthquake in VA, “you could feel it here a little bit.” #avlgov Aug. 23 2:21 pm

Jane Mathews

JakeFrankel Now up, Jane Gianvito Mathews. Jan Davis calls her his “mentor.” She used to serve on P&Z before, touts 30 years of living in AVL. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:24 pm

JakeFrankel Matthews: Housing should be part of any development plans for commercial corridors, that will also help encourage public transit. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:28 pm

JakeFrankel RT @_tatuaje_: Bothwell: You helped draft UDO? – Matthews:  Yes, I know it very well #avlgov Aug. 23 2:30 pm

JakeFrankel . @jonelliston No Council members have asked applicants about their feelings on the earthquake. Yet. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:32 pm

JakeFrankel Newman: Is our P&Z model outdated? Should we restructure system and work closer with the county? #avlgov Aug. 23 2:36 pm

JakeFrankel Mathews: Yes, we should work more closely with the county. Sprawl in the county will harm us. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:37 pm

JakeFrankel Council adjoins for a short break… To be continued… #avlgov Aug. 23 2:42 pm

DavidForbes Unfazed by the earthquake, the #avlgov feed is in fine form this afternoon. You’ve got people weighing on P&Z hearings. Aug. 23 2:53 pm

Steve Rasmussen

JakeFrankel Now up, activist Steve Rasmussen MT @avlpetsitter: Rasmussen claims to be only candidate with no professional ties to development. #avlgov Aug. 23 2:58 pm

JakeFrankel Davis: What do you think of 51 Biltmore? Rasmussen: I’ve not made up my mind on that. I only know what I’ve seen in the news. #avlgov Aug. 23 3:00 pm

JakeFrankel Smith: How would you have voted on Larchmont? Rasmussen: I did not envy you guys, but in the end I would have voted for it. #avlgov Aug. 23 3:03 pm

mxnews Our reporter @jakefrankel has “reached the Tweet limit” and has been told by Twitter to “relax for a bit.” He’ll b back as he’s able #avlgov Aug. 23 3:08 pm

Joe Minicozzi:

• During the interview with Minicozzi, Xpress reporter @JakeFrankel had reached his Tweet quota and was following Twitter’s orders to “relax for a bit.” Here’s some dispatches from @_tatuaje_ and @avlpetsitter:

_tatuaje_:  Smith: Larchmont? Minicozzo: Complex. Didn’t pay attention because he couldn’t bid on project #avlgov

_tatuaje_: Bothwell: What in UDO needs work? Minicozzi: Living document. Changing document is legislative, that is up to city council #avlgov

Avlpetsitter: minicozzi suggests streamlining UDO to make it easier to read. I personally like this idea, having tried to read it

_tatuaje_: Bellamy: How do you view your role regarding density? Manicozzi: P&Z needs to remove N from NIMBY- what do people WANT #avlgov

_tatuaje_: Manheimer: what projects have you worked on in past as developer before P&Z Minicozzi: worked on 51 Biltmore before it reached P&Z #avlgov

Avlpetsitter: Davis asks Minicozzi: “At what point would you recuse yourself?” #avlgov Minicozzi says he has a masters in urban design….#avlgov

Avlpetsitter: Davis references concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to Minicozzi’s role with #Asheville Downtown Association #avlgov

Kristy Carter:

JakeFrankel Carter: If people have property, they should be able to develop it. But it has to fit in to the broader scheme of the city. #avlgov Aug. 23 3:48 pm

David Mosrie

JakeFrankel David Mosrie: My background is in realestate, green development, used to be CEO of Push Design, is working on transit projects #avlgov Aug. 23 4:00 pm

JakeFrankel Mosrie: When real estate market picks back up, we will once again face a real supply and demand imbalance. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:05 pm

JakeFrankel Counc. member Russell arrived at 3:30, has been passing on asking any ?s, says he spoke with the applicants + asked them ?s earlier #avlgov Aug. 23 4:09 pm

DavidForbes RT @avlpetsitter: About twenty people (13 men, 8 women) present at P&Z interviews, including councilmembers. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:09 pm

JakeFrankel RT @michaelfmuller: Councilman @BlueRidgeBilly spent all morning interviewing each candidate personally, @JakeFrankel. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:11 pm

JakeFrankel Newman: Any specific ways we can coordinate more effectively with the county? Mosrie: Adopting a regional approach is important. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:13 pm

Mark D. Mathews:

JakeFrankel The last candidate stepping to the lectern is Mark D. Mathews, says he wants to serve the city he loves. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:17 pm

JakeFrankel Mathews: Larchmont seems like a good project. The slope in the Kenilworth project bothered me. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:21 pm

JakeFrankel And that concludes the interviews. Newman: Going through a process like this really makes me appreciate the community. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:26 pm

JakeFrankel Council will vote on who to appoint later this eve, stay tuned to @mxnews and @davidforbes for more coverage. #avlgov Aug. 23 4:27 pm

– Photos by Jonathan Welch